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ARRY OAK LEAFLET<br />
newsletter of the <strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Meadouu Preservation Society January 1997, Vol.1, Mo. I<br />
Yale <strong>Garry</strong> oaks to be protected<br />
By Katie Stewart<br />
The November-December 1996 issue of the B.C. Natu<br />
ralist, magazine of the Federation ofBritish Columbia Natu<br />
ralists (FBCN), contains an article about the provincial gov<br />
ernment's Protected Area Strategy (PAS) for the Lower<br />
Mainland.<br />
Of special interest to GOMPS members is the inclusion<br />
in the PAS of a 5-ha area near Yale which contains a rare<br />
stand of <strong>Garry</strong> oaks.<br />
Elaine Golds represented the FBCN as a member of the<br />
Regional Public Advisory Committee which also included<br />
representatives from the forest, mining and tourism indus<br />
tries, conservation and outdoor recreation groups, labour<br />
MILLIKEN-ESILAO<br />
LOCALITY<br />
KILOMETRES<br />
Milliken site (DJRi 3) Contour interval 5Om<br />
A2 Esilao site (DjRl 5) Road<br />
Railway<br />
MAP OF MILLIKEN site location (close to the stand of<br />
Yale <strong>Garry</strong> oaks) in the lower Fraser Canyon.<br />
J Map supplied courtesy of Dr. Bert Brink<br />
and the provincial government.<br />
I was able to contact Ms Golds to ask her how the Yale<br />
<strong>Garry</strong> oak came to be protected. She gave me the phone<br />
number of Bert Brink, a retired U.B.C. professor who was<br />
honored in 1993 on his 80th birthday for his long-time in<br />
volvement in conservation issues when B.C. Parks named a<br />
meadow in Garibaldi Park after him.<br />
In a phone conversation with Dr. Brink I learned that the<br />
5-ha area identified includes not only the <strong>Garry</strong> oak stand<br />
but also the nearby Milliken archeological site, which is the<br />
oldest site in B.C. and possibly North America. The protec<br />
tion proposal was accepted unanimously.<br />
The Milliken site had been studied by the late Dr. Carl<br />
Borden in the 1960s. Dr. Brink said that it is an interesting<br />
site geologically; at the time first human settlement occurred,<br />
maritime waters were very close to the entrance to the Fraser<br />
Canyon.<br />
He said, "it is quite a magnificent site. The oaks are close<br />
to the point you leave the Fraser Canyon and break away<br />
into the open area." Many are on the east side of canyon<br />
and are not very accessible<br />
Dr. Brink also mentioned that Mike Meagher, a retired<br />
forester, is conducting studies on the Sumas and Yale oaks.<br />
He will be studying the enzyme pattern among <strong>Garry</strong> oak<br />
bud samples taken from a number of locations on Vancou<br />
ver Island, the Gulf Islands and the two mainland locations.<br />
The Yale <strong>Garry</strong> oaks are one of two identified sites of<br />
<strong>Garry</strong> oaks on the mainland. Another small grove is located<br />
near Abbotsford on Sumas Mountain. There are not as many<br />
oaks at this site and development is fast encroaching.<br />
Both sites are presumed to be man-originated. Dr. Brink<br />
thinks acorns were brought from the south (i.e. range where<br />
<strong>Garry</strong> oaks occur) or from southern Vancouver Island by<br />
aboriginal peoples. The oldest trees pre-date Caucasian set<br />
tlement and are 300 years or older.<br />
Dr. Borden thought oaks were from the post-glacial pe<br />
riod, on site 4500 years ago, said Dr. Brink.<br />
Of historical interest is the fact that the oaks were men<br />
tioned in an account of the Royal Engineers building a road<br />
through the Fraser canyon, written by Chief Engineer<br />
Anderson.<br />
Continued on page 2<br />
<strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Leaflet<br />
I
There is still some aboriginal settle<br />
ment not far away and native fisMng<br />
platforms can be seen below the high<br />
way. Dr. Brink hopes that approval for<br />
erecting a kiosk alongside the Trans<br />
Canada Highway across the river from<br />
the site will be approved. Benefactors<br />
have already offered to fund this.<br />
The Yale Indian Band will be in<br />
volved in the wording of the sign, said<br />
Dr. Brink, and in the protection proc<br />
ess.<br />
Q<br />
To get to the oaks, it is necessary to<br />
go by inflatable boats from Yale and<br />
land on a sandbar, but not in freshet<br />
season. Dr. Brink was about to set out<br />
the day following our conversation<br />
(November 20), to guide some<br />
Vancouverites to the site.<br />
Some of Victoria's local botanists<br />
have also visited the Yale site. Adolf<br />
and Oluna Ceska told me how they had<br />
crossed the Fraser River by boat (not<br />
an inflatable) and had to walk/run<br />
through a long dark tunnel, always<br />
looking behind them in case a train<br />
came along.<br />
Dr. Brink said the nearest mainland<br />
<strong>Garry</strong> oak grove is along Chuckanut<br />
Drive south of Bellingham, the old<br />
Highway 99 that used to follow the<br />
Pacific coast.<br />
Dr. Brink mentioned that<br />
FLGlendenning, an entomologist at the<br />
Agricultural Research Station at<br />
Agassiz had done a study on the Yale<br />
<strong>Garry</strong> oaks in the 1930s.<br />
Mr. Glendenning published an arti<br />
cle on the oaks in the March-April 1944<br />
The Canadian Field Naturalist. My<br />
photocopy of this article (below) came<br />
from Dr. Briony Penn.<br />
The <strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> In British<br />
Columbia<br />
An Interesting Example of Discontinuous Distribution<br />
By R. Glendenning<br />
Several years ago while studying<br />
[George B.] Sudworth's Forest Trees<br />
ofthe Pacific Slope published in 1908,<br />
I became interested in a footnote on the<br />
distribution of the <strong>Garry</strong> oak in British<br />
Columbia viz, "An isolated grove on<br />
the northwest end ofVancouver Island<br />
on Quatsino Sound, and another on the<br />
Fraser River 1 1/2 miles above Yale."<br />
As I had failed to notice any oaks<br />
near Yale though frequently passing<br />
through this area, and as the above<br />
records were doubted by later authors<br />
who quoted Sudworth, I decided to<br />
substantiate or disprove them, and to<br />
run these records to their original<br />
sources. It has been very interesting<br />
work.<br />
The oaks were eventually found to<br />
exist at Yale nearly one hundred miles<br />
from the main area of distribution, and<br />
were found to have increased from a<br />
ugrove" to a permanent part of the flora<br />
of considerable extent.<br />
I have been unable to verify the<br />
Quatsino record either by visit or cor<br />
respondence, but my enquiries on oaks<br />
led to the location of an unrecorded,<br />
isolated colony on Sumas Mountain<br />
near Chilliwack.<br />
Apart from the original discoverer of<br />
these records, interest lies in the pecu<br />
liar incidence and method of dispersal<br />
of these outliers far from the main area<br />
of <strong>Garry</strong> oak occurrence, that at Yale<br />
being 80 air miles distant, that at Sumas<br />
40 miles, while Quatsino Sound lies at<br />
least 110 miles from the nearest oaks<br />
on the east coast ofVancouver Island.<br />
Distribution<br />
The <strong>Garry</strong> oak, Quercus <strong>Garry</strong>ana<br />
Douglas, was described by its author<br />
in 1939, the type locality being given<br />
as 'Tlentifiil on plains near Ft. Vancou<br />
ver, on the Multnomah, and at Puget<br />
Sound" (Piper — Flora ofthe State of<br />
Washington, 1906). Sudworth in his<br />
Forest Trees ofthe Pacific Slope, 1908<br />
says "Described originally from plains<br />
around Vancouver on the mainland but<br />
not seen there since."<br />
But as Whitford and Craig point out<br />
in their book The Forests of British<br />
Columbia (Commission of Conserva<br />
tion 1918), there are no plains around<br />
Vancouver, B.C. and evidently<br />
Sudworth mistook Vancouver, B.C. for<br />
Vancouver, Washington.<br />
It is worthy to remark here that al<br />
though no <strong>Garry</strong> oaks occur in or<br />
around Vancouver, the madrona Arbu<br />
tus menziesii, which occupies a very<br />
similar range through the Pacific area,<br />
occurs plentifully on the warm rocky<br />
shore line ofWest Vancouver, and scat<br />
tered individuals still stand in Vancou<br />
ver itself.<br />
The <strong>Garry</strong> oak is the only species of<br />
Quercus that occurs in British Colum<br />
bia. As at present known, the distribu<br />
tion of Q. garryana extends from Santa<br />
Cruz mountains in California north<br />
ward through Oregon and Washington,<br />
gradually being confined to the coastal<br />
area at the northward limit of its range<br />
in Washington and British Columbia<br />
Its northward limit on the mainland,<br />
with the two exceptions to be discussed<br />
later, is at Fairhaven Bluff on the coast<br />
some five miles south of the town of<br />
Bellingham, U.S.A., and 20 miles from<br />
the international boundary at Blaine.<br />
On Vancouver Island it is local but<br />
plentiful on the warm rocky shoreline<br />
of the south eastern portion, from the<br />
southern tip at Victoria, north as far as<br />
Comox, and on the adjacent islands in<br />
the Gulf of Georgia. It extends a few<br />
miles inland where dry well-drained<br />
slopes occur, but then seems to be<br />
choked out by the dense coniferous<br />
forest.<br />
The record for Quatsino Sound, if<br />
authentic, is the only station on the west<br />
coast of Vancouver Island.<br />
Origin of the Yale Record<br />
It was tolerably certain that Sudworth<br />
had not discovered nor even visited the<br />
isolated Yale stand, but he gave no<br />
source for his information in The For-<br />
e<br />
<strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Leaflet
est Trees ofthe Pacific Slope, However,<br />
after some search, a reference to these<br />
oaks in very similar words was found<br />
in [John] Macoun's Catalogue of Ca<br />
nadian Plants, Part III 1986.<br />
But Macoun evidently had not vis<br />
ited this stand as he gives Dawson as<br />
his authority for the record.<br />
Now Dawson (G.M.) was primarily<br />
a geologist, and it would be a very ob<br />
servant botanist even, who would no<br />
tice a few oak trees amidst the wild ter<br />
rain surrounding Yale; it was therefore<br />
extremely doubtful if he was the pio<br />
neer discoverer, especially as no speci<br />
mens of the <strong>Garry</strong> oak collected by<br />
Dawson are extent in the National Her<br />
barium at Ottawa.<br />
Further enquiry was finally rewarded<br />
by the location of the following pas<br />
sage by Dawson in the Geological Sur<br />
vey Report for 1879-80, entitled,<br />
tcNotes of the Distribution of Some of<br />
the More Important Trees of British<br />
Columbia."<br />
Referring to the <strong>Garry</strong> oak, he says:<br />
"Flourishes in the south-eastern portion<br />
of Vancouver Island though Mr. C.A.<br />
Anderson mentions the existence of a<br />
few trees a mile and a half above Yale<br />
on the Frazer River, and these Mr.<br />
Cambie informs me are still to be<br />
seen."<br />
Here then was the probable discov<br />
erer and original recorder, Mr. C.A.<br />
Anderson of the Hudson Bay Com<br />
pany, and this point has been amply<br />
proved by reference to his writing, viz.,<br />
The Domain of the West; a brief de<br />
scription of the province of British<br />
Columbia, its climate and resources,<br />
1872; Notes on North-western<br />
America, 19876; and History of the<br />
Northwest Coast, 1878.<br />
In all these writings, Mr. Anderson<br />
mentions seeing oaks, his earliest ref<br />
erence being to 1847, when a score of<br />
small trees — with one specimen hav<br />
ing a trunk one foot in diameter, are<br />
mentioned, but as early as 1876, even<br />
he doubted if they still remained, as<br />
evidenced by his remark, " — unless<br />
they may have been considerably<br />
spared for their rarity, it is now ques<br />
tionable whether any now remain."<br />
Mr. Walter B. Anderson of Victoria,<br />
son of Alexander Caulfield Anderson,<br />
and like him a keen observer of all natu<br />
ral phenomena, has informed me that<br />
he well remembers his father speaking<br />
of the Yale oaks.<br />
Unfortunately Mr. C.A. Anderson's<br />
manuscripts, like others dealing with<br />
the early history of the Pacific North<br />
west, were "borrowed" by Bancroft,<br />
the Californian historian and have re<br />
mained in California ever since;<br />
whether further details of the oaks were<br />
given or not, I cannot say.<br />
Origin of the Quatsino<br />
Sound Record<br />
As far as the writer knows,<br />
Sudworth's is the earliest record for this<br />
location, but as with Yale, he gives no<br />
authority for his statement. Whether he<br />
visited Quatsino or not, I do not know.<br />
I have been unable to find any further<br />
reference, and neither Macoun nor<br />
Dawson mentions it.<br />
Origin of the Sumas<br />
Mountain Record<br />
As far as is known, this location was<br />
first mentioned in an article by the au<br />
thor in the Forestry Chronicle, Decem<br />
ber 1934.<br />
The site was visited by Mr. J.W.<br />
Winson of Huntingdon and the writer<br />
in 1933 as a result of information given<br />
to Mr. Winson by A.E. Humphrey,<br />
Land Surveyor of Chilliwack.<br />
Further inquiry has revealed the fact<br />
that the original discoverer of this<br />
colony was a homesteader named John<br />
MacKay who lived nearby, and who<br />
went to the mountain seeking hard<br />
wood for farm implement repairs.<br />
Vine maple, Acer circinatum or dog<br />
wood, Cornus nuttallii were generally<br />
used in pioneer days for this purpose,<br />
but finding oak, he told his friends and<br />
the information has lingered. This was<br />
approximately 40 years ago, but no<br />
data is available as to the size of the<br />
trees at that time.<br />
As noted later when describing this<br />
colony, the age of the oldest tree was<br />
given as 35 in 1933, and while MacKay<br />
and friends have chopped down some<br />
slightly older trees, these were not<br />
found on the occasion of our visit.<br />
Data on the Yale colony<br />
This site was first visited in 1933<br />
when the oaks were readily found by<br />
following the directions of an old pros<br />
pector, resident of Yale.<br />
The exact location of the colony is<br />
roughly one and one-half miles north<br />
of the town of Yale on the opposite<br />
bank of the Fraser River. At this point<br />
a cable spans the river which here lies<br />
in a deep narrow canyon with cliffs<br />
some 200 feet high. The closely adja<br />
cent mountains rise steeply to approxi<br />
mately 4,000 feet and form a deep<br />
gorge.<br />
The oaks occur on a broad promon<br />
tory between the Canadian National<br />
Railway and the river, and also on an<br />
adjacent hillside.<br />
In 1935 they covered almost 30<br />
acres, and are sparsely intertwined with<br />
broad-leaved maple Acer<br />
macrophyllum Pursh; Douglas-fir<br />
Pseudotsuga taxifolia (Poir.) Britt.;<br />
western birch Betula occidentalis<br />
Hook.; wild cherries Prunus virginiana<br />
L. van demissa (Torn & Gray) Torr;<br />
and P. emarginata (Hook.) Walp. and<br />
the juniper Juniperus scopulorum Sarg.<br />
The plant association is typical of the<br />
oak environments elsewhere, a drier<br />
type of the prevailing Humid Transi<br />
tion zone. There are several hundred<br />
trees of varying ages extending for<br />
about a half a mile along the foot of<br />
the mountain, all within 100 yards of<br />
the left bank of the Fraser.<br />
None occur, or at least none were<br />
found on the right bank where the Ca<br />
nadian Pacific railway tracks and the<br />
Cariboo Highway run, although at this<br />
point the river is only about 60 yards<br />
wide and a similar environment ob<br />
tains.<br />
From information received from the<br />
local Canadian National railway sec<br />
tion foreman, an additional colony may<br />
exist at Stout, formerly Saddle Rock,<br />
on the Canadian National railway some<br />
six miles north of the Yale stand. The<br />
trees are not visible from the Cariboo<br />
Highway, even through binoculars, so<br />
Continued on page 4<br />
<strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Leaflet 3
Continued from page 4<br />
probably are much younger and fewer<br />
than those near Yale.<br />
From the general composition of the<br />
colony near Yale, it would appear that<br />
the stand is gradually spreading south<br />
ward, the oldest trees occurring on the<br />
highest part of the promontory at the<br />
north end.<br />
In a preliminary notice published in<br />
the Forestry Chronicle in December<br />
1934, the age of the oldest tree found<br />
was estimated at 80 years. A subse<br />
quent visit in 1935 revealed a much<br />
older tree when the age of this, and the<br />
previously examined trees, was deter<br />
mined closely by means of an incre<br />
ment borer.<br />
The oldest tree, evidently the parent<br />
of the entire colony, is growing on the<br />
top of a dry rocky ridge about 200 yards<br />
north of the cable way. In 1935 it was<br />
22 inches in diameter, had lost a large<br />
limb, and gave other indications of<br />
considerable age.<br />
It was impossible to bore to the cen<br />
tre of this tree owing to the hardness<br />
of the heart-wood, but six inches ofboring<br />
showed 105 annual rings. A con<br />
servative estimate of the number of<br />
rings would therefore make this tree at<br />
least 175 years old in 1935.<br />
From the poor, rocky environment,<br />
and from the fact that oaks are prover<br />
bially slow growing in youth, it is prob<br />
able that 200 years would not be an<br />
excessive age to ascribe to this tree.<br />
This would be in good agreement with<br />
data given in "Sudworth" for dimen<br />
sions and ages of trees of this species,<br />
as he gives the age of one tree 19 inches<br />
in diameter as 183 years, and a second<br />
of 27 inches as 251 years.<br />
This dates the germination of the<br />
parent of the Yale colony back to A.D.<br />
1760 or before, which ante-dates by<br />
many years the advent of Europeans<br />
to this area.<br />
Haifa dozen trees were found whose<br />
age was 60 to 75 years, and several<br />
dozen from 30 to 35 years old. There<br />
were hundreds of younger trees of<br />
varying ages besides the usual scrub<br />
oaks arising from suckers. Natural re<br />
production from seed was prolific and<br />
1 <strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Leaflet<br />
acorns were plentiful. Insect pests were<br />
conspicuous by their absence. No dead<br />
trees or rotten stumps that could be<br />
identified as oaks were found, though<br />
search was made. No evidences of fire<br />
were visible even on the boles of large<br />
balsam and fir trees from two to three<br />
hundred years old growing nearby.<br />
It would appear, therefore, from the<br />
above evidence that the colony is defi<br />
nitely an outlier from the main distri<br />
bution area of comparatively recent<br />
origin, and not a relict of a former<br />
wider distribution.<br />
Data on the Sumas<br />
Mountain Colony<br />
The location of this stand is on the<br />
southern slope of Sumas Mountain one<br />
mile west ofthe main pumping station.<br />
It can be reached by walking down the<br />
old Canadian National Railway right<br />
of way. This location is approximately<br />
35 miles from Fairhaven, the nearest<br />
point of the main distribution area, and<br />
60 miles from the Yale occurrence.<br />
The site is on a rocky spur running<br />
down what used to be Sumas Lake be<br />
fore reclamation; there are several<br />
similar spurs on this southern slope but<br />
the oaks were found only on this one.<br />
There are some 30 or 40 trees here,<br />
the oldest not over 35 years of age in<br />
1933. As at Yale no evidences were<br />
found of older trees so it would appear<br />
that is a recent colony and not a relict.<br />
The older trees are about 250 feet<br />
above the level land at the base of the<br />
mountain; younger trees about 10 years<br />
old occurred lower down. As at Yale<br />
the flora here is a typical dry arid tran<br />
sition, but competition from conifers<br />
and broad leaved deciduous trees is<br />
probably more pronounced.<br />
Data on the Quatsino<br />
Sound Colony<br />
As stated above, I have been unable<br />
to visit Quatsino Sound but have cor<br />
responded with Mr. G. H. Waller, For<br />
est Ranger for this district. He states<br />
that he has been unable to locate any<br />
oaks in this area, but has contacted an<br />
old settler who said that a few trees did<br />
exist at one time on the south shore of<br />
the main inlet. As this area has been<br />
logged off, this may account for their<br />
apparent disappearance. However, Mr.<br />
Waller rather doubts his informant, and<br />
also doubts if <strong>Garry</strong> oaks have existed<br />
here within the memory of white men.<br />
As the shoreline of this extensive<br />
inlet is over 100 miles in length, it still<br />
possible that intensive search would be<br />
worthwhile.<br />
Quatsino Sound is 110 air miles<br />
northwest from the northern limit of<br />
oaks on Vancouver Island at Comox,<br />
and in view of the Yale and Sumas lo<br />
cations, there would be nothing surpris<br />
ing in a stand at this point.<br />
If the origin of Sudworth's reference<br />
could be traced, more light might be<br />
thrown on the occurrence.<br />
Mode of Origin<br />
the Colonies<br />
of<br />
As pointed out above, the entire ab<br />
sence of dead or fallen trees, or rotting<br />
stumps at both Yale and Sumas would<br />
indicate that these colonies are in all<br />
probability more or less extensions<br />
from the main distribution area.<br />
The absence of other colonies in the<br />
many suitable environments that occur<br />
on the lower mainland would also sup<br />
port this contention. But by what means<br />
were the original acorns transported to<br />
this site?<br />
As the Yale stand ante-dates Euro<br />
pean explorers in these parts by many<br />
years, this source must be ruled out.<br />
Indians in all probability frequented the<br />
site of the Yale colony occasionally on<br />
their annual fishing expeditions, but the<br />
site at Sumas would not have been an<br />
Indian camping place, and I have the<br />
authority of Mr. W.B. Anderson for the<br />
statement that the local Indians do not,<br />
and never have, used acorns for food;<br />
therefore they had no reason to carry<br />
them long distances.<br />
Wind and water are out of the ques<br />
tion for physical and geographical rea<br />
sons, thus leaving only mammals or<br />
birds.Of these, only the Band-tailed pi<br />
geon Colwnbafosciata, say, or possi<br />
bly the Mourning dove, Zenaida<br />
macroura (Linn.) would be capable of<br />
transporting acorns such a distance<br />
without injuring them. Squirrels, jays
and crows would have been limited to<br />
a few hundred yards as carriers and in<br />
any large animal, the digestive organs<br />
would destroy acorns before voiding.<br />
The crop of the Band-tailed pigeon,<br />
however, is a suitable receptacle, and<br />
it is well known that these pigeons feed<br />
exclusively on oak mast, and 100 miles<br />
is not too far for these birds to fly be<br />
fore digestion occurs.<br />
Band-tailed pigeons are still common<br />
birds in these parts, moving erratically<br />
considerable distances, being here to<br />
day and gone tomorrow.<br />
The suggestion that pigeons are re<br />
sponsible for the inception of these oak<br />
colonies far from the main body ap<br />
pears to be the only explanation that<br />
fits all of the facts on the cases de<br />
scribed above, but of course is only an<br />
unproven theory.<br />
Acknowledgments<br />
I am greatly indebted to the follow<br />
ing gentlemen for their assistance in<br />
this investigation.<br />
Mr. W.B. Anderson of Victoria, son<br />
of the discoverer of the Yale oaks for<br />
confirmation of several facts relative<br />
to this work. Mr. J. W. Eastham of Van<br />
couver and Mr. Herbert Groh of Ottawa<br />
for time spent looking up references in<br />
scarce publications. Mr. G.H. Waller<br />
of Port Hardy for information on the<br />
Quatsino record, and to Mr. J.W.<br />
Winson of Huntingdon for stimulating<br />
criticism, useful information on the<br />
Sumas occurrence, and pleasant com<br />
pany on the several trips of explora<br />
tion needed to obtain the data presented<br />
here. And to Dr. J.M. Swaine, Direc<br />
tor of Science Service, I am also in<br />
debted for the encouragement given to<br />
pursue this enquiry.<br />
A flight of less than one hour after<br />
feeding, some accident — an Indian<br />
arrow or attack by a hawk — and the<br />
acorn-stuffed crop would be spilled and<br />
an embryo oak colony would be<br />
underway.<br />
While, doubtless, the chances for<br />
such a combination of fortuitous cir<br />
cumstances may seem small, when we<br />
consider the time factor and the im<br />
mense number ofpigeons in past ages,<br />
the odds are not so remote.<br />
Two records relevant to the above<br />
theory might be mentioned. Scott<br />
Elliott, in a work on seed dispersal,<br />
quotes Reid for the suggestion that the<br />
oak woods of England arose after the<br />
ice age by acorns transported from<br />
France by birds.<br />
Then, in a recent number of the Jour<br />
nal of the Royal Horticultural Society<br />
of England, some extracts were given<br />
from David Douglas's account of his<br />
collecting trips for that Society in 1824<br />
in what is now Oregon.<br />
In speaking of Castanea<br />
(Castanopsis) chrysophllya, one of the<br />
chinquapins native to Oregon and Cali<br />
fornia, he says "The fruit is delicious<br />
and abundant, and forests composed of<br />
this timber during the season of fruit<br />
teem with Ursus, Cerrus and<br />
Colwnbae, of the latter I have killed<br />
several birds more than 200 miles dis<br />
tant from the nearest point where they<br />
could obtain seed, and found in the crop<br />
abundance of fruit which I ate and<br />
found good."<br />
If chinquapins could be so carried<br />
and still be edible, why not acorns?<br />
LETTER TO THE LEAFLET<br />
Re: GOMPS and conservation cov<br />
enants, December 1996 <strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong><br />
Leaflet<br />
I would like to comment briefly re<br />
garding GOMPS and conservation cov<br />
enants and excerpts from a letter from<br />
R. M. Sharp, which appeared therein.<br />
According to Sharp, "trust is earned"<br />
and I couldn't agree more.<br />
I wonder whose trust he refers to and<br />
who is required to earn it. In today's<br />
political climate, one could be forgiven<br />
for believing it is the politicians who<br />
must earn the public trust. But if this<br />
were the case, all levels of government<br />
would be eager to enter into covenants<br />
as a means to achieve public trust.<br />
Cynical perhaps, but realistic.<br />
Backpedalling by Saanich and its<br />
opposition to the covenant process<br />
therefore reflects their distrust of the<br />
public! I find it ironic that bureaucrats<br />
and politicians with obvious pecuniary<br />
stakes in public policy distrust public<br />
groups which, in many cases, are rec<br />
ognized by the federal government as<br />
wholly non-partisan and charitable in<br />
purpose.<br />
CALENDAR<br />
Yes, trust must be earned. Public<br />
groups have already demonstrated their<br />
trustworthiness to the highest author<br />
ity in the land. On the other hand,<br />
Sharp's letter seems more like another<br />
slap in the face than an admission of<br />
fault.<br />
Eric Redekop,<br />
Victoria.<br />
NATIVE PLANT STUDY GROUP — Thursday, January 16, 7 p.m.<br />
Cornett A, Room 120, UVic. Speaker: Joel Ussery on '^Vegetation Man<br />
agement in Parks and Natural Areas."<br />
SUMMIT PARK ECOSYSTEM MAPPING MEETING - Sunday,<br />
January 19,1 p.m. Blanshard Community Centre.<br />
VICTORIA NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY BOTANY NIGHT —<br />
Tuesday, January 21, 7:30 p.m. Swan Lake Nature House. Featured<br />
speaker: David Fraser.<br />
CHRISTMAS HILL BROOM BASH — Sunday, January 26,1-3:30<br />
p.m. Meet at the Swan Lake Nature House parking lot. Bring gloves and<br />
sturdy footwear. Refreshments afterwards.<br />
GOMPS BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING — Monday, Febru<br />
ary 3,7:30 p.m. at Sharron Waite's, 935 Woodhall Drive, Victoria.<br />
<strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Leaflet 5
Mill Farm on Salt Spring Island to<br />
by Briony Penn<br />
This article is reprinted from The<br />
Log, the Fall 1996 newsletter of<br />
Friends ofEcological Newsletter<br />
The largest remnant of old-growth<br />
Douglas-fir in the Gulf Islands will be<br />
protected, thanks to an $800,000 pur<br />
chase of the 65-hectare Mill Farm set<br />
tled on October 17. The Mill Farm was<br />
on a roller coaster all summer after<br />
being put up for sale for offers on $ 1.3<br />
million.<br />
The first offer (rumoured to be un<br />
der $900,000) by a logging consortium<br />
had some subject-to clauses which<br />
were never met, so the property went<br />
back on the market. During this time,<br />
the Salt Spring Island Conservancy<br />
raised over $100,000 for the purchase.<br />
The Pacific Marine Heritage Legacy<br />
teamed up with the Conservancy to put<br />
in an offer of $600,000 that involved a<br />
purchase and sell-back deal to some of<br />
the owners with the core old-growth<br />
area retained by the Crown.<br />
The owners rejected the deal — not<br />
enough money they said—and it went<br />
back on the market. A second offer was<br />
put on the property by, it was ru<br />
moured, another logging consortium.<br />
Meanwhile, the Capital Regional<br />
District entered the stage. Salt Spring<br />
Island has now joined the CRD parks<br />
function. This normally would require<br />
an island referendum and acceptance<br />
by all other CRD directors. The carrot<br />
was having half a million put into park<br />
acquisition on Salt Spring — and guess<br />
where $400,000 of the money went?<br />
Meanwhile, Salt Spring Island Con<br />
servancy raised close to $100,000<br />
more. (Peggy [Frank] and I contributed<br />
$200 from the Friends after selling watercolours<br />
made for the Douglas-fir<br />
placemat.)<br />
The successful bid was put together<br />
by the Pacific Marine Heritage Legacy,<br />
the CRD and the Conservancy, whose<br />
members says it is the first land-use<br />
w4win" ever for Salt Spring.<br />
The Mount Tuam/Mount Bruce pro<br />
6 <strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Leaflet<br />
tected area proposal that was put for<br />
ward by the Friends and featured in the<br />
last issue of The Log [and the July/<br />
August issue of the <strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Leaflei]<br />
is moving along briskly. I have<br />
joined ranks with a realtor and an<br />
economist to prepare a long term strat<br />
egy which focuses on the possibility<br />
of a protection of the fiill 7000-acre<br />
area through a variety oftools and man<br />
agement types.<br />
This is being done in conjunction<br />
with the Conserving with Covenants<br />
project that Bill Turner has been work<br />
ing tirelessly on.<br />
A variety of conservation strategies<br />
be preserved<br />
will be required to protect this area:<br />
1. Crown lands to be designated pro<br />
tected areas.<br />
2. Willing landowners to negotiate<br />
covenants for tax credits.<br />
3. Buffer-zone properties that come<br />
up for sale are bought through a rotat<br />
ing endowment fund, covenants are<br />
placed on the land, and the land is<br />
resold with cost recovery at no less than<br />
75 per cent.<br />
4. Forest reserves are placed are un<br />
der low intensity management to en<br />
courage landowners to undertake stew<br />
ardship responsibilities.<br />
Meeting for Summit Park mapping project<br />
by Katie Stewart<br />
As most GOMPS members know,<br />
Summit Park is one of the few areas in<br />
the city of Victoria which still is in its<br />
relatively natural state.<br />
Despite invasive non-native plants,<br />
it still has significant <strong>Garry</strong> oak mead<br />
ows. In July 1996, Friends of Summit<br />
Park (FoSP) met with City of Victoria<br />
parks staff to discuss how the park is<br />
managed. Joe Daly, Manager of Parks<br />
Design and Development, suggested to<br />
FoSP that they might like to undertake<br />
mapping the park.<br />
This will be useful to determine<br />
where particular native plant<br />
populations are. Parks staff can then<br />
adjust their mowing schedules to ac<br />
commodate the plants' different ripen<br />
ing times.<br />
Mr. Daly is particularly interested in<br />
knowing the locations of all the <strong>Garry</strong><br />
oaks and to have some idea of how<br />
many young seedlings there are.<br />
Knowing the location and numbers of<br />
rare plants such as yellow montane vio<br />
let (viola praemorsa), will also help<br />
FoSP to keep a close eye on the plants'<br />
viability.<br />
Two other groups in Victoria have<br />
already undertaken similar projects:<br />
Friends of Beacon Hill Park and the<br />
<strong>Garry</strong> oak volunteers at Government<br />
House.<br />
FoSP has invited members from both<br />
groups to come to a meeting on Janu<br />
ary 19 to discuss and demonstrate their<br />
particular mapping projects. Joe Daly<br />
will also attend.<br />
FoSP members Karen Uldall-Ekman<br />
and Katie Stewart met recently with<br />
Dave Clark, a plant ecologist with the<br />
Ministry of Environment (MoE) habi<br />
tat inventory section, to discuss eco<br />
system mapping. MoE personnel did<br />
some preliminary soil and terrain stud<br />
ies in the oak woodlands/meadow area<br />
at Government House in the early<br />
1990s.<br />
Mr. Clark was able to hire a co-op<br />
student from UVic to do the vegeta<br />
tion mapping last summer. Unfortu<br />
nately, with provincial budget cuts, no<br />
more students can be hired for other<br />
mapping projects.<br />
Although the Summit Park mapping<br />
project will be undertaken by Friends<br />
of Summit Park, anyone is welcome to<br />
attend the meeting ifthey are interested<br />
in becoming involved. The meeting is<br />
scheduled for 1 p.m. at the new<br />
Blanshard Community Centre, Kings<br />
Road and Dowler Place.
EYA advisory board<br />
by Katie Stewart<br />
The West Coast Ecological Youth Al<br />
liance (WCEYA) has a new outreach<br />
coordinator, Angie Stevens. She came to<br />
the GOMPS December board meeting to<br />
invite GOMPS to become a member of<br />
an advisory board which the WCEYA is<br />
setting up.<br />
Although no director was able to at<br />
tend the initial meeting, we did receive<br />
the minutes of the meeting. We hope that<br />
a representative will be able to attend the<br />
next meeting on January 29.<br />
TWO VIEWS OF SUMMIT PARK: Before the big blizzard (above) and during<br />
the November broom bash (below). Friends of Summit Park member Dierdre<br />
Gotto piles broom during the first-ever community broom bash.<br />
Photos by Katie Stewart<br />
The objective of the advisory board<br />
will be to provide guidance to WCEYA<br />
for projects concerning preservation and<br />
salvaging when development occurs.<br />
The board will also liaise with commu<br />
nity groups and other parties involved<br />
with such projects.<br />
A second objective will be to become<br />
a clearinghouse for information regard<br />
ing developments. This will mean con<br />
tacting developers and contractors, city<br />
planners, municipal councils and Min<br />
istry of Highways (MoTH) staff. A list<br />
of suitable sites to replant the salvaged<br />
material will also be compiled.<br />
Among the people attending the ini<br />
tial advisory board meeting were two<br />
MoTH personnel: Catherine Abel,<br />
spokesperson for the Vancouver Island<br />
Highway Project and Al Planiden, from<br />
the ministry. Ms Abel mentioned two<br />
potential sites for plant rescues: the Millstream<br />
Connector and the Admirals/<br />
McKenzie area.<br />
Upcoming activities on Mount Tolmie<br />
January 18 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Shrub and Tree Planting Bee #5<br />
January 19<br />
9 a.m.-3 p.m. Broom Bash #57<br />
January 25<br />
January 26<br />
February 2<br />
9 a.m.-3 p.m.<br />
9 a.m.-3 p.m.<br />
1-3 p.m.<br />
Shrub and Tree Planting Bee #6<br />
Broom Bash #58<br />
Wildflower Walk #17<br />
To find planting or broom bashing activities in remote areas, volunteers<br />
may need to follow pink survey tape from Mayfair Drive parking areas;<br />
wildflower walks will depart from and return to the summit viewpoint. While<br />
shovels will only be usefiil for planting, sturdy footwear is a must for all activi<br />
ties, which will proceed rain or shine. For more information, contact Eric<br />
Redekop at 595-7270.<br />
Salvaging native plants can only pre<br />
serve a miniscule amount of plants, at<br />
best, compared to the vast quantities that<br />
are destroyed by development or the<br />
highway widening project. A formal<br />
salvaging program is definitely needed<br />
but how we approach development has<br />
to be rethought so that wholesale blast<br />
ing and bulldozing is no longer the norm.<br />
If you are interested in becoming in<br />
volved, or are aware of impending de<br />
velopments, please contact the WCEYA<br />
at 383-2062, fax 386-3449 or e-mail<br />
yyj00497@cyberstore.ca.<br />
<strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Leaflet 7
Seedy Saturday<br />
The Fourth Annual Community Seed<br />
Barter and Show will be held on Satur<br />
day, February 15 at South Park School,<br />
508 Douglas Street (opposite Beacon<br />
Hill Park), from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.<br />
The theme of this year's event will<br />
be transforming schoolgrounds into<br />
landscapes for learning.<br />
A number of organizations will be<br />
represented: Evergreen Foundation,<br />
Lifecycles, Green Teacher, Provincial<br />
Capital Commission, the Victoria Hor<br />
ticultural Society, Naturescape and the<br />
Swan Lake Nature Sanctuary.<br />
There will be displays from schools<br />
already involved with a gardening<br />
project. Attendees will be able to pur<br />
chase seeds and plants from the collec<br />
tions of local growers and nurseries and<br />
to barter or buy seeds at the commu<br />
nity seed exchange table.<br />
Admission is $3. For more informa<br />
tion contact Carolyn Herriot 592-4472.<br />
CRD Regional Growth<br />
Strategy's Public Advisory<br />
Committee formed<br />
The Capital Regional District has<br />
embarked on a four-year regional<br />
growth study (RGS). Under the provin<br />
cial Growth Strategies Act, enacted in<br />
1995, a framework was set up "for lo<br />
cal governments to carry out coordi<br />
nated planning and action at the re<br />
gional level."(CRD's November 1996<br />
Foundations for the Future bulletin.)<br />
The CRD invited applications from<br />
the public to sit on a 15-member pub<br />
lic advisory committee.<br />
The mandate for this committee will<br />
be to advise the CRD on the process<br />
for consultation with regional residents,<br />
communications and media relations,<br />
the formation and operation of commu<br />
nity discussion groups and to give in<br />
put and feedback on RGS documents.<br />
One member selected for the com<br />
mittee was GOMPS president Katie<br />
Stewart. She hopes to keep GOMPS<br />
members informed of opportunities for<br />
their input to the RGS via the <strong>Garry</strong><br />
<strong>Oak</strong> Leaflet.<br />
PUBLIC RELATIONS<br />
ONGOING<br />
GOMPS DISPLAYS:<br />
Call Eric Redekop, 595-7270, to suggest locations.<br />
FUND-RAISING COMMITTEE<br />
As our main fund-raiser, GOMPS has for sale full colour posters of a <strong>Garry</strong> oak<br />
and a meadow of camas/buttercups under a bright spring sky. We also have<br />
wildflower placemats, wildflower posters and the <strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Meadow Colloquium<br />
Proceedings for sale. Call Tom Gillespie at 361-1694.<br />
PRESERVATION/RESTORATION COMMITTEE<br />
SEED/SEEDLING EXCHANGE. Interested members contact Katie Stewart at<br />
386-4792.<br />
OPERATION CLEAN SWEEP (broom removal). Call Eric Redekop at 595-<br />
7270 for information.<br />
RESEARCH COMMITTEE<br />
PUBLIC CONSERVATION ASSISTANCE FUND GARRY OAK INVEN<br />
TORY PROJECT. Project coordinator is Paul Gareau, 592-9089.<br />
NEWSLETTER<br />
If you have any contributions — photos, art work, articles, letters of agreement or<br />
disagreement or anything else you'd like to contribute, contact Katie Stewart at<br />
386-4792 or mail to address below.<br />
GARRY OAK MEADOW PRESERVATION SOCIETY<br />
c/o A-954 QUEENS AVENUE, VICTORIA, B.C. V8T 1M6<br />
DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS<br />
OF THE SOCIETY<br />
President and Public Relations Chair Katie Stewart 386-4792<br />
Vice-President Pierre d'Estrube 477-2410<br />
Treasurer and Finance Chair Tom Gillespie 361-1694<br />
Secretary and Membership<br />
E-mail ua620@freenet.victoria.bc.ca<br />
Development Chair Sharron Waite 479-3380<br />
Director and Program Chair Paul Gareau 592-9089<br />
E-mail upgareau@islandnet.com<br />
Director Hal Gibbard 477-2986<br />
Director Janet Simpson 381-6657<br />
NAMF.<br />
ADDRESS<br />
MEMBERSHIPS AND DONATIONS<br />
MEMBERSHIP DUES:<br />
□ Individual $15 □ Family $20<br />
□ Youth and Associate $6 (no newsletter)<br />
□ Gift memberships, send receipt to:<br />
□ Donation<br />
Please send more information about:<br />
O Local sources for <strong>Garry</strong> oak meadow plants<br />
□ <strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Inventory Project<br />
Q Operation Clean Sweep (broom removal)<br />
□ Growing, planting Gany oaks<br />
6 <strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Leaflet
RRY OAK LEAFLET<br />
Newsletter of the <strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Meadow Preservation Society February I997, Vol. 1, Mo.<br />
Sooke Hills to<br />
After at least five years of many lo<br />
cal people lobbying for the protection<br />
of the Sooke Hills, the provincial gov<br />
ernment has listened.<br />
One person with a vision, Ray Zimmermann,<br />
initiated the effort by talk<br />
ing to community association meetings,<br />
public forums and the CRD Round Ta<br />
ble on the Environment. He also took<br />
many people on hikes in the off-catch<br />
ment areas of the Greater Victoria Wa<br />
ter District (GVWD) to inspire them to<br />
share his dream of a sea-to-sea<br />
greenbelt, from Saanich Inlet to Sooke<br />
be protected!<br />
Basin. The staff of the Victoria Branch<br />
of the Western Canada Wilderness<br />
Committee began to campaign and<br />
other community groups, including<br />
GOMPS, added their support.<br />
Capital Regional District Parks saw<br />
the value of protecting the land and did<br />
a comprehensive study. But the GVWD<br />
Board wasn't supportive and had back<br />
room discussions about trading or sell<br />
ing off the lands. Fortunately, David<br />
Perry, a lawyer commissioned by<br />
former Environment Minister Moe<br />
Sihota to look at the off-catchment<br />
lands of the GVWD among many other<br />
issues pertaining to the GVWD, rec<br />
ommended that the lands become a<br />
CRD Park. Finance Minister Andrew<br />
Petter accepted this recommendation<br />
and legislation will soon be drafted to<br />
transfer the land from the four core<br />
municaplities to the CRD.<br />
The dream doesn't stop there, how<br />
ever. More lands will have to be ac<br />
quired to finalize the sea-to-sea vision.<br />
Crown lands need to be designated as<br />
park; some private lands will have to<br />
Continued on page 6<br />
<strong>Garry</strong> oaks will be retained as lot is<br />
developed<br />
rezoning which contains numerous<br />
Photo by Katie Stewart<br />
GOMPS directors receive many calls necessarily <strong>Garry</strong> oak) being cut down,<br />
SMALL OAK GROVE will be preserved when lot is developed.<br />
about property being developed which One such phone call concerned a large <strong>Garry</strong> oaks. GOMPS Director Sharron<br />
contain <strong>Garry</strong> oaks or about trees (not lot at 3500 Cedar Hill Road slated for<br />
Waite obtained the development plans,<br />
which we discussed at the last two<br />
board meetings.<br />
Presently there is one house on the<br />
property. The initial proposal was<br />
turned down by Saanich. The second<br />
proposal of four houses and a duplex<br />
will preserve the small grove of <strong>Garry</strong><br />
oaks adjacent to the house in the pho<br />
tograph (left).<br />
Unfortunately there is a venerable<br />
oak behind the house on the right (much<br />
larger than the oaks in the grove) which<br />
will have to be removed to accommo<br />
date the driveway. The consulting<br />
arborist said the tree wasn't healthy and<br />
ifthe driveway were to be moved, blast<br />
ing would still kill it.<br />
Sharron has arranged for a site tour<br />
with the realtor, who also drew up the<br />
house plans, on February 15.<br />
<strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Leaflet<br />
I
William Head Institution propagating program<br />
By Katie Stewart<br />
During the Metchosin Day annual<br />
festival in late September 1996,1 no<br />
ticed two young people walk by with<br />
1-gallon containers of <strong>Garry</strong> oak seed<br />
lings. I left my place in the dinner line<br />
up and ran after them, curious as to<br />
where they had obtained the seedlings.<br />
They motioned to an area I hadn't<br />
visited. Tucked away was a table with<br />
numerous oak seedlings and several<br />
styrofoam packs of arbutus seedlings,<br />
free for the taking. I waited around to<br />
talk to the person in charge who turned<br />
out to be the program organizer for the<br />
prisoners at William Head Institution,<br />
a man named Bernie Dovell.<br />
I introduced myself and talked about<br />
GOMPS, which he had heard of. We<br />
exchanged phone numbers and several<br />
months later I phoned him. He set up a<br />
meeting for me in mid-December with<br />
Chris Trehearne, the horticulturalist at<br />
William Head Institution.<br />
Pre-clearance with prison officials<br />
was necessary before my arrival. Un<br />
fortunately, I had forgotten to ask if I<br />
could bring my camera and take some<br />
photos, so although I had my camera<br />
with me, I could not take it past the<br />
gate.<br />
For those of you not familiar with<br />
the location of the prison, it is south<br />
west of Victoria in Metchosin on a pe<br />
ninsula surrounded by the waters of<br />
Juan de Fuca Strait. The cove on the<br />
northeast side of the grounds is called<br />
Quarantine Cove, which reflects the<br />
history of the peninsula. From 1893-<br />
1957 a quarantine station with 42 build<br />
ings operated at the site. Sheep were<br />
introduced to the rocky knoll area.<br />
In 1927 at its peak, 1,068 ships were<br />
inspected. Over 1000 people could be<br />
detained on shore, if necessary, to con<br />
trol the spread of communicable dis<br />
eases. A year after its closure as a quar<br />
antine station, the institution reopened<br />
as a minimum security prison.<br />
William Head Institution has the<br />
nickname "Club Fed" because of its su<br />
perb location and beautiful landscape.<br />
Most of Metchosin is predominately<br />
salal-oregon grape native plant com<br />
munity and contains only a few pock<br />
ets of <strong>Garry</strong> oak-arbutus and arbutusgarry<br />
oak communities, according to<br />
the CRD Native Plant Communities<br />
map prepared for Environment Canad<br />
by the Forestry Service in 1976 by in<br />
terpreting air photos of areas larger<br />
than ±10 ha. (These mixed stands are<br />
designated by the predominant species<br />
in the stands.)<br />
The institution falls within the band<br />
of coast line and eastern half of the<br />
Saanich Peninsula which receives an<br />
average annual precipitation of 690<br />
mm.<br />
Vegetative management plan<br />
Chris Trehearne has drawn up a veg<br />
etative management plan for the prison<br />
grounds. Over half of the area has been<br />
designated natural reserves. Mr.<br />
Trehearne said he utilitized some in<br />
formation contained in our GOMPS<br />
brochure regarding the importance of<br />
preserving <strong>Garry</strong> oak habitat when he<br />
approached the warden for support for<br />
his management plan.<br />
According to the plan, the natural<br />
areas will contain native plants only<br />
and "all maintenance practices would<br />
be focused on maintaining or increas<br />
ing the diversity of natives established<br />
on the peninsula.<br />
This would include broom, gorse and<br />
blackberry removal. Pruning only of<br />
dangerous branches; annual grass cut<br />
ting to minimize fire hazard. These ar<br />
eas would serves as visual boundaries<br />
as well as seed banks for propagation<br />
for [the] CRD program."<br />
After I arrived at the prison and<br />
signed in, Mr. Trehearne walked me<br />
around the prison grounds. We passed<br />
the residential area and I noticed a large<br />
tipi close to the water. First Nations<br />
prisoners have an area set aside for<br />
Hatched areas are natural reserves.<br />
Map was prepared by Chris Trehearne
their religious and cultural use. Mr.<br />
Trehearne pointed out a pond in the<br />
making which will be encircled by na<br />
tive plants traditionally used by First<br />
Nations people, such as skunk cabbage.<br />
Approximately a third of the prison<br />
grounds is a hilly area of <strong>Garry</strong> oaks,<br />
which is off-limits to the prisoners'<br />
Some broom removal has been under<br />
taken there by prisoners.<br />
Mr. Trehearne said former loggers<br />
were very interested in working out<br />
side, doing this kind of work. (Beraie<br />
Dovell said he tried to interest the CRD<br />
in utilizing prisoners who were nearing<br />
their time to leave prison to do<br />
broom removal in parks and other CRD<br />
areas for a nominal amount of money.<br />
Unfortunately, according to Mr.<br />
Dovell, union jurisdictional problems<br />
so far have prevented that from hap<br />
pening.)<br />
Mr. Trehearne has tried to fence off<br />
particular plant populations such as<br />
satin-flowers and fawn lilies. In the<br />
past, some of the natural areas have<br />
been treated as dump sites, so some<br />
degradation of flowering native plant<br />
species has occurred because of igno<br />
rance.<br />
Deer and racoons are a problem, he<br />
said.<br />
Mr. Trehearne teaches several<br />
Camosun accredited courses, such as<br />
botany, arborculture (basic pinning)<br />
and soil management. If at least four<br />
prisoners are interested, he'll set up a<br />
course, such as cloning propagation<br />
techniques.<br />
The prison has a garden area and sev<br />
eral greenhouses. Quite a few "house<br />
plants" are grown there for the resi<br />
dences, as well as the starter plants for<br />
the planter boxes. This keeps costs<br />
down as well as providing a learning<br />
experience for interested prisoners.<br />
Mr. Trehearne mentioned that pris<br />
oners involved in greenhouse growing<br />
learn to be patient. He said many of<br />
them are not used to waiting for what<br />
they want, but are used to taking what<br />
they want, when they want it, which is<br />
often what got them into trouble.<br />
Growing <strong>Garry</strong> oaks<br />
When Mr. Trehearne decided to start<br />
growing oaks, he initially tried tried<br />
three approaches: planting acorns out<br />
side in pots, covering the acorns with<br />
leaves over winter; stratifying the<br />
acorns before planting, and planting the<br />
acorns indoors where the seedlings<br />
were pampered. He said the growth<br />
rates were the same so he now just<br />
plants the acorns outdoors in pots and<br />
doesn't fertilize them.<br />
Some <strong>Garry</strong> oaks have been planted<br />
in degraded areas at the prison.<br />
Mr. Trehearne visited the Pacific<br />
Forestry Centre (PFC) to see their op<br />
eration. He said he was surprised at the<br />
size of the centre's two-year-old seed<br />
ling compared to those at William Head<br />
Institution.<br />
The PFC seedlings were approxi<br />
mately four times as high. Mr.<br />
Trehearne assumed they were ferti-<br />
Correction<br />
Calendar<br />
In the December 1996 article titled<br />
Government House <strong>Garry</strong> oak habitat,<br />
the third last paragraph indicated that<br />
negotiations were underway for a con<br />
servation covenant, but in fact, the poslized.<br />
Mr. Trehearne wondered about<br />
their viability when transplanted. I told<br />
him we hadn't kept any records but<br />
were trying to get a study going for<br />
those we had distributed for planting.<br />
Besides <strong>Garry</strong> oak and arbutus, Mr.<br />
Trehearne grows alder and some na<br />
tive shrubs. He is particularly inter<br />
ested in growing manzanita, which is<br />
reputedly very difficult to propagate.<br />
Apparently some manzanita is being<br />
grown at PFC, however, he said.<br />
Plants and seedlings aren't grown to<br />
be sold commercially. Mr. Trehearne<br />
doesn't want commitments that might<br />
possibly not be honoured, for example,<br />
in the event of a prison shut-down by<br />
rioting prisoners. (This hasn't hap<br />
pened, but the possibility always ex<br />
ists.)<br />
sibility of a conservation covenant is<br />
being explored and it hoped that nego<br />
tiations can begin in the near future.<br />
Thanks to Friends of Government<br />
House and GOMPS member Fran<br />
Spencer for the clarification.<br />
SEEDY SATURDAY - February 15,10 a.m.-5 P.m., South Park School<br />
Purchase seeds and plants from local growers and nurseries. Barter or buv<br />
seeds at the Community Seed Exchange Table.<br />
NATIVE PLANT STUDY GROUP - Thursday, February 207pm<br />
CornettA Room 120, UVIC. Speaker: Wayne Erickson on SasslanZf<br />
Southern British Columbia.<br />
WILDFLOWERWALK-Sunday,February 23,1-3 P.m. Depart from<br />
summit viewpoint. For more information contact Eric Redekop 595-7270.<br />
GOMPS BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING - Thursday, March<br />
6, 7:30 p.m. at Katie Stewart's, 1252 Montrose Ave., Victoria.<br />
u^vl^J8^?^1^ Sat-day>March8, 9a.n,-4:30<br />
p.m Elliott Lecture Wing, UVIC. Tickets available at The Field Naturalist<br />
and Swan Lake/Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary Nature House.<br />
VHNS MUSICAL HATS - Saturday, March 8, 6:30 p.m. Prospect<br />
Lake Community Hall. Tickets available at The Field Naturalist.<br />
NPSBCNATIVEPLANTSOCIETYOFBRITISHCOLUMBUAGM<br />
^SSSS *' UVIC- F°r m°re information
BiblioFile<br />
Classification and Interpretation of<br />
<strong>Garry</strong> oak Quercus garryana Plant<br />
Communities and <strong>Ecosystems</strong> in<br />
Southwestern British Columbia by<br />
Wayne R. Erickson, 1996<br />
This comprehensive volume is Mr.<br />
Erickson's Master of Science thesis for<br />
the Department of Geography at the<br />
University of Victoria.<br />
Mr. Erickson did three years' of field<br />
work in over 300 plots. He sampled<br />
plant communities to "develop a clas<br />
sification for use in resource manage<br />
ment." He identified and described 43<br />
plant communities. Twenty-seven of<br />
these are in the native plant category<br />
and the remaining 17 are introduced<br />
plant communities.<br />
Mr. Erickson writes that originally<br />
the Saanich Peninsula had over 3,000<br />
ha of <strong>Garry</strong> oak habitat and the origi<br />
nal overall range was probably less<br />
than 10,000 ha. Not much is protected;<br />
the largest areas are Mt. Maxwell at<br />
64.8 ha and Mt. Tzouhalem at 18 ha.<br />
He also describes the number of rare<br />
plant species in the ecosystem.<br />
Whereas the provincial mean is 40 in<br />
the forest districts, the Duncan Forest<br />
District lists "132 rare plant taxa." Over<br />
half of these are on the Conservation<br />
Data Centre's Red (endangered and<br />
threatened) and Blue (watch) Lists.<br />
Mr. Erickson writes, "Underlying the<br />
thesis work was the urgency for action<br />
on the <strong>Garry</strong> oak ecosystem. Their en<br />
dangered status sharpened the need for<br />
a classification as a base step in better<br />
understanding these ecosystems. Man<br />
agement strategies and interpretations<br />
are also developed in this thesis to help<br />
in efforts to maintain the ecological<br />
integrity of the <strong>Garry</strong> oak communi<br />
ties."<br />
Wayne Erickson's thesis can be read<br />
at the main branch of the Victoria Pub<br />
lic Library and at the University of<br />
Victoria Library. He also distributed<br />
copies to several government ministries<br />
and to local municipalities, hoping that<br />
the information therein will help in<br />
management plans.<br />
1 <strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Leaflet<br />
Miracle Under the <strong>Oak</strong>s: The Revival<br />
of Nature in America by William K.<br />
Stevens, Pocket Books, 1995.<br />
Review by Katie Stewart<br />
At the broom workshop on Galiano<br />
Island in October, 1996 the Galiano<br />
Conservancy Association had a large<br />
table set up with posters and books<br />
from their extensive library.<br />
Among the many books displayed,<br />
one caught my eye: Miracle Under The<br />
<strong>Oak</strong>s, with its wonderful background<br />
cover photo of frosted oak, fern and fir<br />
leaves. I wrote the name down in my<br />
notebook and forgot about it. About six<br />
weeks later I spotted the book in<br />
Munro's Books and bought it, and<br />
much later discovered the forgotten<br />
reference in my notebook.<br />
Miracle Under the <strong>Oak</strong>s was inspired<br />
by a conversation the author had in late<br />
1990 with the director of the Missouri<br />
Botanical Garden who mentioned the<br />
burgeoning ecological restoration<br />
movement, which resulted in an arti<br />
cle by Mr. Stevens in the New York<br />
Times and an inquiry about the possi<br />
bility of a book from the Pocket Books,<br />
a division of Simon & Schuster Inc.<br />
Miracle Under The <strong>Oak</strong>s is great and<br />
exciting reading. Once I began read<br />
ing the book, it was my bed-time read<br />
ing until I finished it.<br />
The book is divided into three parts.<br />
The first and third parts chronicle the<br />
restoration of Vestal Grove, an oak sa<br />
vanna, and 10 other tallgrass prairie<br />
remnants around the north branch of<br />
Chicago River.<br />
Agriculture and settlement have al<br />
most eliminated the original bur-oak<br />
savannas and tallgrass prairies of the<br />
American Midwest; in Chicago, the<br />
small remnants remaining were greatly<br />
diminished by human activity.<br />
"When Steve Packard first saw Ves<br />
tal Grove [a forest district preserve, in<br />
1977] and its adjacent open savannas<br />
and prairies... it was a dead ecosystem<br />
except for the dominant oaks and their<br />
attendant hickories; and not just dead,<br />
but lost to human ken. The classic<br />
tallgrass savannas had disappeared so<br />
quickly, before scientists could study<br />
them, that their ecological characteris<br />
tics were almost unknown. Packard<br />
found the site strewn with mattresses,<br />
car seats, and milk crates that teenag<br />
ers used as<br />
seats<br />
for<br />
outdoor<br />
parties. Bottles<br />
cans<br />
and<br />
were<br />
everywhere<br />
.... More se<br />
rious<br />
an<br />
from<br />
ecologi<br />
cal point of<br />
view,<br />
site<br />
choked<br />
the<br />
was<br />
by<br />
Miracli;<br />
unofr<br />
HE OAxS<br />
20-foot-high thickets of European<br />
buckthorn, an invader from abroad<br />
whose dense growth obliterated the<br />
original grasses and flowers, destroy<br />
ing not only the savanna ecosystem, but<br />
also any possibility of knowing what<br />
it had been like." (pages 18-19)<br />
The book describes Mr. Packard's<br />
background and what influenced him<br />
to begin the North Branch Prairie<br />
Project. With a few minute slide pres<br />
entation at a Sierra Club meeting he<br />
solicited 12 volunteers who collected<br />
and planted 2000 prairie phlox seeds<br />
in other degraded prairielands and re<br />
moved invasive brush.<br />
From this humble beginning, hun<br />
dreds of people eventually became in<br />
volved in the ongoing restoration ef<br />
forts in the forest district preserves,<br />
including growing the plants needed<br />
for the restoration work.<br />
Also described in these sections of<br />
the book were the discovery of a lost<br />
ecosystem which pitted Mr. Packard's<br />
botanical sleuthing against the<br />
skepticism of local scientists; the reintroduction<br />
of many of its plants spe<br />
cies into the oak savanna; prescribed<br />
burning in an urban setting, necessary<br />
to bring back plant species; the inevi<br />
table personality and environmental
group conflicts; the failures and suc<br />
cesses and what has been learned in the<br />
process of doing the restoration work<br />
along the river; and the ongoing scien<br />
tific debate about restoration and tam<br />
pering with natural processes.<br />
Part two of Miracle Under The <strong>Oak</strong>s<br />
details various ecological restoration<br />
projects ongoing in the U.S. and Costa<br />
Rica, some involving the Nature Con<br />
servancy.<br />
These include restoring riparian for<br />
ests along the Sacramento River in<br />
California; sandplain habitat in<br />
Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts<br />
with prescribed burns; longleaf-pine/<br />
wiregrass habitat along the<br />
Apalachicola River in Florida and<br />
wetlands along the Atlantic coast.<br />
Appendices list volunteer contact<br />
organizations in the U.S. and the na<br />
tive plants growing in Vestal Grove in<br />
1993.<br />
There is a paragraph (pages 154-155)<br />
which those of us involved in restora<br />
tion work need to consider as we go<br />
about removing invasive plants and reintroducing<br />
native species in areas<br />
where they once grew.<br />
"Restoration projects typically face<br />
formidable investigational, conceptual,<br />
and political obstacles that can make<br />
or break the venture even before the<br />
field-workers get their hands dirty and<br />
their brows sweaty. Figuring out what<br />
the predisturbance ecosystem was like,<br />
as Packard found, can be a knotty chal<br />
lenge; yet this kind of investigative<br />
ecology may be essential to many<br />
projects. Deciding on a specific objec<br />
tive is critical. Getting the science right<br />
can be intimidating. Securing commu<br />
nity approval and support, given tradi<br />
tional attitudes about nature and con<br />
servation, can be ticklish.<br />
Dealing with politicians, bureaucra<br />
cies and entrenched interests tests both<br />
patience and political skill. Failure is<br />
always a possibility. Sometimes fail<br />
ure is abject, especially when restora<br />
tions have not done their homework or<br />
adopted the right goals or are not suf<br />
ficiently committed or just do not know<br />
what they are doing." _ -<br />
<strong>Oak</strong>s of California by Bruce M. POvlik,<br />
Pamela C. Muick, Sharon G. Johnson<br />
and Marjorie Popper, published by<br />
Cachuma Press and the California<br />
<strong>Oak</strong> Foundation, 1991.<br />
Review by Katie Stewart<br />
For Christmas I received a copy of<br />
this book, now in its third reprinting.<br />
Full of spectacular photos, detailed<br />
drawings and range maps, it gives a<br />
description of each of California's 19<br />
species of oak (growth form, leaves,<br />
acorns, bark and wood), their habitat<br />
and geographical distribution.<br />
<strong>Oak</strong>s<br />
OF CALIFORNIA<br />
Quercus<br />
garryana is,<br />
of course, of<br />
prime interest<br />
to me.<br />
Called<br />
Or<br />
egon oak in<br />
this<br />
its<br />
ated<br />
book,<br />
associ<br />
plant<br />
communi<br />
ties are dif<br />
ferent<br />
than<br />
those of the <strong>Garry</strong> oak in British Co<br />
lumbia. Two other varieties of <strong>Garry</strong><br />
oak exist, both shrub oaks: Brewer oak<br />
(Q. garryana van breweri), which is<br />
mostly widely distributed between<br />
2,000 and 6,000 feet in the Klamath<br />
and southern Cascade ranges, and shin<br />
oak (Q. garryana var. semota), which<br />
is located in die Transverse Ranges and<br />
southern Sierra.<br />
Several oak species are endangered<br />
and the book highlights conservation<br />
efforts, such as The Nature Conserv<br />
ancy buying large chunks of the Santa<br />
<strong>Garry</strong> oak seedlings<br />
Rosa plateau — destined for develop<br />
ment — to protect the Englemann oak<br />
with the result that over 6900 acres are<br />
protected as an ecological reserve.<br />
<strong>Oak</strong> history and use, wildlife and<br />
oaks, conservation, preservation, habi<br />
tat restoration and management are all<br />
covered in the book. One chapter is on<br />
exploring California's oak landscapes<br />
by area. For example, in the section on<br />
the Northern California Coast, specific<br />
directions on given to Schoolhouse<br />
Peak, in the southern part of Redwood<br />
National Park, which preserves "out<br />
standing examples of Oregon oak<br />
woodland." (page 139)<br />
Appendices include maps of Califor<br />
nia's topography and native tribes, in<br />
dex to common and scientific plant<br />
names, insects and vertebrate species<br />
associated with California oaks and<br />
endangered species associated with<br />
California oaks.<br />
Ed note: The California <strong>Oak</strong> Foun<br />
dation and the International <strong>Oak</strong> So<br />
ciety are co-sponsoring the Second In<br />
ternational <strong>Oak</strong> Conference in San<br />
Marino, California from October 21-<br />
23,1997.<br />
Organizers hope presenters will talk<br />
on oak use, ecology, conservation, tax<br />
onomy and propagation. Field trips<br />
will be arranged to such places as the<br />
Santa Rosa Plateau and Kern River<br />
<strong>Oak</strong> Restoration.<br />
□<br />
The <strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Leaflet will try to<br />
include book reviews from time to<br />
time. We welcome material from<br />
GOMPS members. Anyone so inspired<br />
can contact Katie Stewart at 386-4792.<br />
disappear<br />
At the February GOMPS board to plant the oaks before Christmas and<br />
meeting, directors very disappointed to<br />
hear that a vandal(s) uprooted between<br />
50-100 <strong>Garry</strong> oak seedlings from<br />
Mount Tolmie where they had been re<br />
cently planted.<br />
Eric Redekop, who is coordinating<br />
both broom removal and planting na<br />
tive shrubs and oaks on site, had en<br />
listed the help of classes from Campus<br />
View and Uplands Elementary Schools<br />
in January.<br />
On one of his regular visits there at<br />
the end of January, he discovered the<br />
oaks missing, not uprooted and tossed<br />
aside. He speculated that they might<br />
have been stolen, though it seemed un<br />
likely.<br />
Such destruction is unfathomable;<br />
we hope that Eric keeps his spirits up<br />
and doesn't become disheartened.<br />
<strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Leaflet 5
Continued from page 1<br />
be purchased, if owners are willing and<br />
money can be found. The Society for<br />
the Protection of Ayum Creek is fundraising<br />
to purchase and restore the delta<br />
area of the salmon-bearing creek,<br />
which flows from the Sooke Hills. The<br />
property is currently for sale.<br />
Charters River, originating in the<br />
Sooke Hills, also requires protection.<br />
The final objective? Sooke Basin and<br />
Saanich Inlet as marine parks.<br />
Add to this the proposed Mount<br />
Tuam/Mount Bruce protected area on<br />
Saltspring Island (July/Augut 1996<br />
<strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Leaflet) and there could ul<br />
timately be a magridficent oasis in this<br />
part of the Georgia Basin.<br />
GOMPS AGM<br />
The annual general meeting has been<br />
set for March 13 at 7:30 p.m. at the<br />
Swan Lake Nature Sanctuary Nature<br />
House. Five directors' terms will be<br />
finished at that time: those of Pierre<br />
d'Estrube, Hal Gibbard, Paul Gareau,<br />
Tom Gillepsie and Sharron Waite.<br />
Most directors have indicated that they<br />
will stand for re-election.<br />
However, any GOMPS members in<br />
good standing who wish to stand for<br />
election may do so. If anyone is inter<br />
ested, please let Tom Gillespie know<br />
at 361-1694 or at the AGM.<br />
The agenda will include a discussion<br />
of GOMPS being a possible umbrella<br />
organization for the numerous small<br />
groups around which are engaged in<br />
restoration or land use issues. We have<br />
been approached several times over the<br />
last two years regarding setting up an<br />
informal network.<br />
PUBLIC RELATIONS<br />
GOMPS DISPLAYS:<br />
Ongoing<br />
Call Eric Redekop, 595-7270, to suggest locations.<br />
FUND-RAISING COMMITTEE<br />
As our main fund-raiser, GOMPS has for sale full colour posters of a <strong>Garry</strong> oak<br />
and a meadow of camas/buttercups under a bright spring sky. We also have<br />
wildflower placemats, wildflower posters and the <strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Meadow Colloquium<br />
Proceedings for sale. Call Tom Gillespie at 361-1694.<br />
PRESERVATION/RESTORATION COMMITTEE<br />
SEED/SEEDLING EXCHANGE. Interested members contact Katie Stewart at<br />
386-4792.<br />
OPERATION CLEAN SWEEP (broom removal). Call Eric Redekop at 595-<br />
7270 for information.<br />
RESEARCH COMMITTEE<br />
PUBLIC CONSERVATION ASSISTANCE FUND GARRY OAK INVEN<br />
TORY PROJECT. Project coordinator is Paul Gareau, 592-9089.<br />
NEWSLETTER<br />
If you have any contributions — photos, art work, articles, letters of agreement or<br />
disagreement or anything else you'd like to contribute, contact Katie Stewart at<br />
386-4792 or mail to address below.<br />
GARRY OAK MEADOW PRESERVATION SOCIETY<br />
c/o A-954 QUEENS AVENUE, VICTORIA, B.C. V8T 1M6<br />
Directors and Officers<br />
of the Society<br />
President and Public Relations Chair Katie Stewart 3 86-4792<br />
Vice-President Pierre d'Estrube 477-2410<br />
Treasurer and Finance Chair Tom Gillespie 361-1694<br />
Secretary and Membership<br />
E-mail ua620@jBreenet.victoria.bc.ca<br />
Development Chair Sharron Waite 479-3380<br />
Director and Program Chair Paul Gareau 592-9089<br />
E-mail upgareau@islandnet.com<br />
Director Hal Gibbard 477-2986<br />
Director Janet Simpson 381-6657<br />
Memberships and<br />
Donations<br />
<strong>Garry</strong> oak volunteers from Friends<br />
of Government House will set up a dis<br />
play of their ecosystem mapping of the<br />
natural area below Government House<br />
and show slides of their restoration<br />
work following the formal part of the<br />
meeting.<br />
Welcome new members<br />
Alison Gareau, Stephen Ruttan,<br />
Catherine Fryer, Karen Uldall-<br />
Ekmann, D.E. McNally, and Ron and<br />
Sylvia Samborski, all of Victoria.<br />
6 <strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Leaflet<br />
NAMF<br />
ADDRESS<br />
MEMBERSHIP DUES:<br />
□ Individual $15 □ Family $20<br />
□ Youth and Associate $6 (no newsletter)<br />
Q Gift memberships, send receipt to:<br />
□ Donation<br />
Please send more information about:<br />
□ Local sources for <strong>Garry</strong> oak meadow plants<br />
Q <strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Inventory Project<br />
□ Operation Clean Sweep (broom removal)<br />
□ Growing, planting <strong>Garry</strong> oaks
Vancouver Island Public Interest Research Group<br />
4th ANNUAL NATIVE<br />
PLANT SYMPOSUM<br />
March 8, 1997 - 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.<br />
Elliott<br />
Lecture Wing, UVic<br />
* Tickets: $15 at the door, $12 advance, $8 students/unwaged<br />
•To increase public awareness about native plant gardening and other native vegetation<br />
issues; to raise concern for the status of native vegetation on campus<br />
and in the community; to raise funds for the upkeep of the<br />
Confirmed Presentations<br />
UVic Native Plant Garden.<br />
"Propagation of Native Plants" by Brenda Costanzo<br />
"Find Where You Are: Geographic Positioning Based on Native Plant<br />
Distributions" by Adolf Ceska<br />
"Flora of the Saanich Peninsula" by Hans Roemer<br />
"Using Native Plants in Landscapes" by Judith Reeve<br />
"Restoring Landscapes with Native Plants" by Kathy Dunster<br />
"From Harmless to Hazardous: Exploring Chemical Diversity<br />
in Native Plants" by Kelly Banister<br />
"Preserving <strong>Garry</strong> oak ecosystems: conservation in the community"<br />
by Sharron Waite<br />
... and more<br />
Other events<br />
Walking tours of Mystic Vale and the UVic Native Plant Garden<br />
Native Plants for sale from Thimble Farms on Saltspring Island<br />
Lone Pine Publishing Field Guides for sale<br />
Moss Biology and Identification Workshop<br />
Cattail Basketry Workshop<br />
Broom Ecology and Biocontrol Workshop<br />
Bake sale and raffles prizes<br />
Displays<br />
Canadian Wildflower Society<br />
<strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Meadow Preservation Society/Friends of Summit Park<br />
Conservation Data Centre<br />
Friends of Ecological Reserve<br />
Tannis Walburton - Wildflower Artist<br />
Woodland Farms<br />
and more....<br />
Tickets available at The Field Naturalist and Swan Lake/Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary
RRY OAK LEAFLET<br />
newsletter of the <strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Meadouu Preservation Society March 1997. Vol. 1, Mo. 3<br />
Conservancy Hornby Island's injunction<br />
On January 17, the subdivision pro<br />
posal for the "Thousand <strong>Oak</strong>s Grove"<br />
on Hornby Island was approved. Con<br />
servancy Hornby Island was not noti<br />
fied and only found out about the ap<br />
proval 10 days later, hours before the<br />
deadline for any appeal.<br />
For newer GOMPS members not fa<br />
miliar with the issue, the approx. 5 ha<br />
area of <strong>Garry</strong> oak-brome community<br />
will be the fifth stage of development<br />
for High Salal ranch, a development<br />
owned by Keith Sorensen.<br />
The enchanting grove, which has no<br />
Scotch broom or other major invasive<br />
shrubs, overlooks the ocean. Although<br />
it is on private land, a path connects<br />
the grove to HeUiwell Park, not far from<br />
the edge of the high cliffs above the<br />
ocean.<br />
In an article by Stephen Hume, pub<br />
lished in the Vancouver Sun in June<br />
1996, he wrote: "Retired international<br />
ecological scholar and author [Dr.] C.E.<br />
Pilou rates the Hornby grove as world<br />
class in importance.<br />
" 'Every place in earth has a contri<br />
bution to make. In the case of Hornby<br />
Island, the conservation of its <strong>Garry</strong><br />
oaks is a national and international re<br />
sponsibility.'<br />
"She believes the Hornby oaks have<br />
evolved a unique set of genes that per<br />
mits them to survive in such a marginal<br />
habitat. This makes them all the more<br />
important as a biological asset in a<br />
world of shrinking diversity."<br />
Mr. Hume also quotes Dr. Richard<br />
Hebda about the grove. " 'I think it is<br />
highly significant. It is the only one of<br />
its kind in B.C., which means in<br />
Canada. From an ecological point of<br />
view, it's pretty much one of a kind.<br />
The bottom line is that is is unique in<br />
Canada.' "<br />
Conservancy Hornby Island has been<br />
trying to have the grove preserved for<br />
10 years. Spokesperson John Edward<br />
said the Conservancy has taken out an<br />
injunction to have the approving offic<br />
er's decision set aside because the sub<br />
division is not adhering to the prelimi<br />
nary layout approval and the public in<br />
terest is not being served.<br />
The Conservancy also objects to the<br />
Ministries of Highways and Transpor<br />
tation and Environment being cocovantees<br />
for the grove. The Trust Fund<br />
Board was originally supposed to hold<br />
the covenants.<br />
The injunction is supposed to be<br />
heard on March 24th.<br />
The Conservancy contacted GOMPS<br />
for another letter of support for their<br />
court appearance, which has been sent.<br />
Other local supporters have also sent<br />
letters.<br />
A VIEW OF HORNBY ISLAND'S "THOUSAND OAKS GROVE". Island Trustee<br />
Tony Law and developer Keith Sorensen are shown walking through the lots in<br />
1995.<br />
Photo by Katie Stewart.<br />
The grove is so far still intact and as<br />
John Edward says, "We want to keep it<br />
that way."<br />
<strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Leaflet
BCLand Trust Alliance formed<br />
by Katie Stewart<br />
Governments can only protect so<br />
much land, given economic and politi<br />
cal restraints. Capital Regional District<br />
Parks has certainly recognized this with<br />
their Green/Blue Spaces Strategy; their<br />
staff have looked at other mechanisms<br />
for identifying and protecting green<br />
space besides outright purchase. Some<br />
of these measures include stewardship,<br />
conservation covenants and land trusts.<br />
What is a land trust?<br />
According to Turtle Island Earth<br />
Steward's brochure, Guide to Forming<br />
Community Land Trusts, "Community<br />
land trusts [CLTs] are non-profit chari<br />
table organizations created to hold and<br />
protect ecologically significant private<br />
lands in perpetuity. CLTS are an effec<br />
tive tool for people who want to inte<br />
grate environmental and development<br />
issues in local land use planning and<br />
ongoing monitoring programs at the<br />
community watershed or bioregional<br />
levels.<br />
"Lands to be placed in trust are ob<br />
tained by outright purchase, gift or be<br />
quest. CLTs hold lands in trust by out<br />
right ownership or by conservation<br />
covenants which are entered into agree<br />
ments with land owners. CLTS can also<br />
enter into management agreements<br />
with land owners to ensure ecologically<br />
appropriate farming or forestry prac<br />
tices that continue from owner to<br />
owner and from one generation to the<br />
next.<br />
"Why form a community land<br />
trust?<br />
"In the area of community building,<br />
CLTs can assist citizens, municipali<br />
ties, regional districts, watershed alli<br />
ances or bioregional groups to:<br />
"Increase awareness of an essential<br />
natural resource—such as agricultural<br />
and/or forested private lands;<br />
"Remove the ecological aspects of<br />
land from the speculative real estate<br />
market, so it ceases to be a commodity<br />
to be bought and sold for private gain<br />
and provides for ecologically sensitive<br />
development;<br />
e <strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Leaflet<br />
"Proyide land as a community re<br />
source to be stewarded in an ecologi<br />
cally appropriate manner;<br />
"Strengthen environmental landplanning<br />
objectives in parks and rec<br />
reation, resource protection and resto<br />
ration, i.e. greenways."<br />
Formation of the B.C. Land<br />
Trust Alliance<br />
Last fall, the Cowichan Community<br />
Land Trust Society sponsored Steward<br />
ship Workshop: Tools for Land Con<br />
servation in Duncan, which GOMPS<br />
director Pierre d'Estrube attended. The<br />
Cowichan group, along with the<br />
Nanaimo Land Trust, organized a<br />
meeting in Nanaimo on February 7 and<br />
8 for local conservancy and land trust<br />
organizations to discuss the formation<br />
of the Land Trust Alliance of B.C.<br />
Saltspring, Savary, Denman,<br />
Galiano, Quadra, Cortes and Gabriola<br />
Island land trusts and conservancies<br />
were represented as well as Islands<br />
Trust, the Similkameen, Nanaimo,<br />
Cowichan, Campbell River and Comox<br />
Valley land trusts and the recently<br />
formed CRD group, Habitat Acquisi<br />
tion Trust Other groups represented<br />
included GOMPS, Wildbird Trust,<br />
Turtle Island Earth Stewardship and the<br />
Nature Conservancy.<br />
Guest speakers included Calvin<br />
Sandborn, author of Green Spaces and<br />
Growth: Conserving Natural Areas in<br />
British Columbia Communities; Chris<br />
Herrman, Land Trust Alliance of the<br />
Northwest (Redmond, Washington);<br />
Bill Turner, Land Conservancy ofB.C.<br />
and Tim Pringle, Real Estate Founda<br />
tion of B.C.<br />
Chris Hernnan gave quite a bit of<br />
practical information. He said there are<br />
over 1200 land trusts in the United<br />
States, and thought there ought to be<br />
about 600. Over half of the trusts are<br />
small and volunteer run. In some areas<br />
there are too many, which may be a<br />
question that the British Columbian<br />
groups may have to ask themselves<br />
over time. Over 2 million acres of land<br />
including farms, wetlands, wildlife<br />
habitat, urban gardens and parks, for<br />
ests, ranches, watersheds, coastlines,<br />
river corridors and trails have been pro<br />
tected by these land trusts in the United<br />
States.<br />
The U.S. Land Trust Alliance<br />
formed in 1982. Some of the larger land<br />
trusts which have been in existence for<br />
almost 100 years decided to form the<br />
organization in response to the constant<br />
requests for assistance from lands trusts<br />
just starting out.<br />
The alliance "provides specialized<br />
services, publications, information, and<br />
training for land trusts and other land<br />
conservation organizations, and works<br />
for public policies that advance land<br />
conservation," according to their bro<br />
chure.<br />
The BC Land Trust Alliance would<br />
like to fulfill a similar function, albeit<br />
scaled down. By the conclusion of the<br />
Saturday session, a mission statement<br />
was formed:<br />
BCLTA is a provincial communica<br />
tions, service and leadership organiza<br />
tion that helps member land trusts and<br />
conservation groups to protect, stew<br />
ard and/or rehabilitate natural, settle<br />
ment and heritage assets in British<br />
Columbia and nearby waters.<br />
Some possible activities: facilitating<br />
the development of a land trust move<br />
ment in B.C., providing educational<br />
materials, activities and workshops;<br />
serving as a central clearing house and<br />
library for information, group insur<br />
ance, providing start-up assistance to<br />
new groups, establishing voluntary<br />
standards and lobbying for legislation.<br />
Two workshops, one on board devel<br />
opment and the other on fund-raising,<br />
were held on Saturday afternoon.<br />
Tim Pringle gave some background<br />
on what the Real Estate Foundation<br />
requires from groups looking for fund<br />
ing as well as names of other potential<br />
sources such as other foundations and<br />
corporations. His foundation partially<br />
funded the Cowichan Community<br />
Land Trust's Stewardship Project (ap-<br />
Continued on page 3
New development at Royal <strong>Oak</strong><br />
by Katie Stewart<br />
Directly across from the Royal <strong>Oak</strong><br />
Shopping are five lots encompassing<br />
5.7 acres, owned by Saanich. The most<br />
northerly lot has a heritage building<br />
(housing most recently the Chantecler<br />
Restaurant) surrounded by trees,<br />
mainly <strong>Garry</strong> oaks and a large lawn.<br />
The other lots do not contain <strong>Garry</strong><br />
oaks.<br />
GOMPS was contacted on February<br />
19 by a young woman named Michelle<br />
of the Ecological Youth Alliance, con<br />
cerned that a large <strong>Garry</strong> oak meadow<br />
was going to be developed on the site.<br />
The following day I attended an open<br />
house put on by the developer, with<br />
architectural drawings on display and<br />
the architect's and developer's staffs on<br />
hand.<br />
According to the package of written<br />
material, approximately 44 per cent or<br />
2.5 acres is "subject to restricted use<br />
due to the existence of the heritage<br />
building and a number of <strong>Garry</strong> oaks<br />
and arbutus."<br />
The new buildings are designed to<br />
fit in with the natural topography ofthe<br />
site, which slopes up from die south<br />
erly end 40 feet over the length of the<br />
property. They will be a combination<br />
of retail and office, with a separate<br />
building housing McDonald's, its 10th<br />
location in the Capital Region.<br />
The heritage building was originally<br />
constructed in 1939 for John and<br />
Katherine Maltwood as both a restau<br />
rant and their residence. They be<br />
queathed the building and its antiques<br />
and^morks o Universityy<br />
of Vic<br />
toria for a museum but the building was<br />
not suitable for that purpose. The uni<br />
versity ultimately sold it to Saanich in<br />
1979. The municipality rezoned the<br />
lands south of the house to commer<br />
cial the following year with the inten<br />
tion of selling the land to finance the<br />
purchase.<br />
Since it is a heritage building, its<br />
preservation and restoration is a pre<br />
requisite to the development of the<br />
property. The stated use will be a pub/<br />
restaurant.<br />
Preservation of most of the <strong>Garry</strong><br />
oaks and arbutus is another prerequi<br />
site. An initial tree survey was done<br />
by a civil engineering company to lo<br />
cate the trees' drip lines. Also, local<br />
arborist Don Bottrell was hired to sur<br />
vey all the trees to determine their<br />
health. The result is that of the exist<br />
ing 73 <strong>Garry</strong> oaks, two will be removed<br />
and of the nine arbutus, two also will<br />
be removed According to the handout,<br />
44where parking areas come close to the<br />
base of certain trees, grass grid pavers<br />
are to be employed instead of asphalt<br />
for the parking surface."<br />
I heard some concern from other visi<br />
tors to the open house regarding the<br />
loss of green space to the approach to<br />
Victoria (also occurring with the de<br />
velopment near Chatterton Way). As I<br />
am not a resident ofthe Royal <strong>Oak</strong> area,<br />
I did not comment on the questionnaire<br />
regarding such matters as "do you feel<br />
people in the neighbourhood need the<br />
convenience of additional commercial<br />
facilities that the development will of<br />
fer?"<br />
I did comment favorably, however,<br />
on the efforts to save as many trees as<br />
possible. I think Saanich's staff are try<br />
ing save as many oaks as they can when<br />
development occurs, judging by this<br />
development, the small one at 3500<br />
Cedar Hill Rd and <strong>Oak</strong>winds.<br />
I also suggested using <strong>Garry</strong> oaks for<br />
some of the new plantings and using<br />
native flora associated with <strong>Garry</strong> oaks<br />
such as fawn and chocolate lilies,<br />
camas, shooting stars and satin-flow<br />
ers under the oaks, as well as retaining<br />
the existing tall Oregon grape. I talked<br />
with Tim Ankeman, the architect,<br />
about this as well and he seemed en<br />
thusiastic. I followed up our conversa<br />
tion by sending Him a list ofwhere such<br />
plant material can be bought<br />
By the time I talked to him, about<br />
3:00 p.m., he had a small list of sug<br />
gestions given to him by the viewing<br />
public ofwho to contact and a sugges<br />
tion of doing an ecological study.<br />
GOMPS was on the list as well as Joel<br />
Ussery of CRD Parks. I mentioned to<br />
Mr. Ankeman that I had walked over<br />
the grassy areas, including the area<br />
Michelle had been concerned about. I<br />
couldn't see any new growth of the<br />
above species, although I didn't walk<br />
over the whole site thoroughly. It may<br />
have been a <strong>Garry</strong> oak meadow in the<br />
past but I don't know vdiat the land has<br />
been used for more recently. The ex<br />
tensive lawn surrounding the house had<br />
several massive drifts of snowdrops,<br />
but I didn't see any signs of the small<br />
native spring flora.<br />
GOMPS director Sharron Waite will<br />
attend the Saanich Municipal Council<br />
meeting on March lO.The Chantecler<br />
property is on the agenda for a possi<br />
ble Environmental and Social Review.<br />
Continued from page 2<br />
proaching landowners regarding stew<br />
ardship and/or conservation covenants)<br />
and partially funded the District of<br />
Saanich's inventory of environmental<br />
significant areas, for example.<br />
An interim board was elected at the<br />
meeting and most directors attended<br />
the board development workshop.They<br />
will proceed with forming a society.<br />
What role could GOMPS<br />
play?<br />
It is unlikely that GOMPS would<br />
ever actually own land, in my opinion.<br />
Our society could conceivably hold<br />
conservation covenants, as we are in a<br />
position to do so.<br />
More likely is a supportive role to<br />
perhaps the local Habitat Acquisition<br />
Trust Foundation, which is set up to<br />
own land and hold conservation cov<br />
enants.<br />
When stewardship programs are in<br />
place, we could approach landowners<br />
regarding becoming stewards and/or<br />
informing them about conservation<br />
covenants. We could also identify land<br />
that should be protected. One of our<br />
directors (or members) could sit on the<br />
HAT Board for further involvement<br />
and input.<br />
■<strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Leaflet 5
CPAWS Park Stewardship Program<br />
by Katie Stewart<br />
In the November/December 1996 is<br />
sue of the BC Naturalist, publication<br />
of the Federation of British Columbia<br />
Naturalists, the B.C. chapter of the<br />
Canadian Parks and Wilderness Soci<br />
ety announced the beginning of the<br />
B.C. Grassroots Park Stewardship Pro<br />
gram.<br />
"The overall goal of the program is<br />
to ensure the ecological integrity ofthe<br />
national and provincial park system in<br />
B.C. The program focuses on the park<br />
stewardship activities performed by<br />
grassroots (volunteer) groups. Exam<br />
ples of park stewardship include: in<br />
volvement in park planning and man<br />
agement processes, interpretation and<br />
education, monitoring, research,<br />
watchdog duties on advocacy, trailing<br />
building and facilities maintenance.<br />
"Short-term objectives of the pro<br />
gram are:<br />
"1. The creation of a Park Steward<br />
ship Network connecting the grassroots<br />
groups and individuals involved in park<br />
issues in the province; and<br />
"2. the organization of a Park Stew<br />
ardship Workshop, to address the is<br />
sues raised by the groups and to de<br />
cide future course of actions. A longerterm<br />
objective is the creation of<br />
'Friends of the Park' groups where<br />
none currently exist.<br />
"What are other groups doing out<br />
there? What types of stewardship are<br />
they involved in? How did they tackle<br />
certain problems? What have they<br />
learned? What was successful? What<br />
mistakes have they made?<br />
Only by sharing our experiences can<br />
we learn from each other, avoid repeat<br />
ing the same mistakes, capitalizing on<br />
each other's achievements, and become<br />
more effective in protecting our parks.<br />
This is the rationale for creating a Park<br />
Stewarship Network."<br />
After reading this article, I immedi<br />
ately wrote and e-mailed a response to<br />
the Serena Arduino, the author.<br />
In my letter I wrote:<br />
1 <strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Leaflet<br />
"I was interested to read the article<br />
in the November 1995 issue of B.C.<br />
Naturalist advocating the formation of<br />
a B.C. Grassroots Park Stewardship<br />
Program.<br />
Unfortunately, your mandate is only<br />
provincial and federal parks. Within the<br />
Capital Regional District, there are a<br />
number of "Friends of groups who<br />
fulfill some of the suggested roles in<br />
the article, particularly ensuring the<br />
ecological integrity of our local natu<br />
ral parks.<br />
The local ecosystem on southern<br />
Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands<br />
is the Coastal Douglas-fir and within<br />
in an even smaller ecosystem — the<br />
<strong>Garry</strong> oak ecosystem. It is classified as<br />
an ecosystem at risk by the Ministry of<br />
Environment and it is, I believe, one<br />
of the four most endangered ecosys<br />
tems in Canada.<br />
Our organization has several roles:<br />
political lobbying, public education<br />
and habitat restoration. We publish a<br />
generally monthly newsletter on <strong>Garry</strong><br />
oak/regional growth/native plant is<br />
sues. We have an ongoing program of<br />
collecting acorns, planting them at the<br />
Pacific Forestry Centre here in Victo<br />
ria, where they are raised for one or<br />
two years, then planted by community<br />
groups. The MoTH has used these oaks<br />
and more recently the City of Victoria<br />
will this month be planting 200 oaks<br />
in two parks.<br />
We organize a "City-wide Broom<br />
Bash" in the fall, an ongoing effort to<br />
get rid ofbroom and other exotic inva<br />
sive plants area parks. This year there<br />
were 21 broom bashes in 13 locations.<br />
Most of these events were coordinated<br />
by various "Friends of groups which<br />
have been actively doing restoration<br />
works in various parks.<br />
On southern Vancouver Island, the<br />
<strong>Garry</strong> oak ecosystem is not, so far, pro<br />
tected in any provincial or national<br />
parks that I'm aware of. We have cer<br />
tainly lobbied for such a park. There<br />
fore, the only protection this ecosys<br />
tem has is in local parks. It is only be<br />
cause of the ongoing efforts of dozens<br />
of volunteers that the <strong>Garry</strong> oak<br />
parklands/meadows will survive as so<br />
far, there has not been much political<br />
will to bring in special legislation or<br />
measures to ensure its viability as de<br />
velopment continues.<br />
I encourage your group to include<br />
natural municipal parks in your stew<br />
ardship program."<br />
I received a phone call back within a<br />
day or two from Ms Aduino who told<br />
me she'd bring my suggestions to the<br />
next stewardship organizing meeting.<br />
In the March/April 1997 issue of the<br />
BC Naturalist, Ms Aduino writes,<br />
"CPAWS is grateful for the feedback<br />
and has implemented most of the sug<br />
gestions received One ofthe novelties,<br />
for example, has been not to limit the<br />
Park Stewardship Program to provin<br />
cial and national groups, but to include<br />
ALL protected areas. Stewards of re<br />
gional parks, wilderness areas, nature<br />
sancturaries: welcome to the Park<br />
Stewardship Network."<br />
I am very pleased that CPAWS had<br />
decided to include such groups as<br />
GOMPS. I faxed the forum announce<br />
ment to several people involved in<br />
"Friends of" groups and I encourage<br />
GOMPS members who are also mem<br />
bers of "Friends of groups to go to<br />
the forum or have their groups send a<br />
representative.<br />
GOMPS AGM<br />
THURSDAY,<br />
MARCH 13,<br />
7:30 P.M.<br />
SWAN LAKE<br />
NATURE HOUSE<br />
Guests: Friends of Govern<br />
ment House discussing their<br />
restoration work below Gov<br />
ernment House and mapping<br />
that area.
WORKING TOGETHER TO SUSTAIN<br />
PARKS AND PROTECTED AREAS<br />
Friday to Sunday, April 11-13, 1997<br />
Landmark Hotel and Conference Centre<br />
1400 Robson Street Vancouver, B.C.<br />
A public forum to:<br />
Examine needs, choices and solutions in meeting the conservation and recreation<br />
mandates of parks and protected areas<br />
Discuss current issues in stewardship and exchange ideas, contacts and<br />
techniques that work<br />
Build new mechanisms through which park agencies work with each other,<br />
with First Nations, and with conservation and recreation organizations to sustain<br />
parks and protected areas<br />
Forum themes:<br />
Working Together — Discuss current mandates and roles of agencies and organizations;<br />
explore new ways of integrating efforts and working together efficiently.<br />
Pressures on Conservation and Recreation — Develop approaches to sustaining ecologi<br />
cal integrity in parks and protected areas while the meeting the needs of recreational users.<br />
Stewardship — Clarify the roles of stewardship groups in sustaining parks and protected<br />
areas. Expand the capacity of volunteers to contribute by identifying their needs and pro<br />
viding networking opportunities.<br />
Resourcing — Identify new approaches and determine preferences to meet management<br />
needs for sustaining parks and protected areas.<br />
Presented by:<br />
Canadian Parks and Wildnemess Society - BC Chapter<br />
and Greater Vancouver Regional Parks Department<br />
In cooperation with:<br />
BC Parks<br />
Capital Regional District Parks<br />
Federation of British Columbia Naturalists<br />
Outdoor Recreational Council of BC<br />
Endorsed by:<br />
British Columbia Environmental Network — Parks and Wilderness Caucus<br />
For registration package, please contact CPAWS - BC at:<br />
(604) 685-7445 (phone); (604) 685-6449 (fax)<br />
cpawsbc@direct.ca<br />
(e-mail)<br />
Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society - BC Chapter<br />
611-207 W. Hastings Street<br />
Vancouver, B.C. V6B 1H7<br />
<strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Leaflet 5
<strong>Garry</strong> oak seedlings<br />
to be planted on<br />
Gabriola Island<br />
Gabriola Island teacher Imelda<br />
Hedingham contacted GOMPS re<br />
cently as she was concerned about the<br />
health of the <strong>Garry</strong> oaks on the island<br />
and the lack of younger trees. She ar<br />
ranged to pick up 60 seedlings in late<br />
February and will plant them with her<br />
grade 4 and 5 class in Drumbeg Park,<br />
a provincial park on the southwest of<br />
the island. Local parks staff were en<br />
thusiastic and receptive to the idea, she<br />
said, and will prepare holes for the<br />
planting after doing some site prepa<br />
ration by removing broom.<br />
CALENDAR<br />
MOUNT<br />
TOLMIE<br />
WILDFLOWER WALKS —<br />
Sundays, March 16 and 30, 1-3<br />
p.m. Depart from summit view<br />
point. For more information con<br />
tact Eric Redekop 595-7270.<br />
NATIVE PLANT STUDY<br />
GROUP — Thursday, March<br />
20,7 p.m. Cornett A, Room 120,<br />
VIC. Speaker: Shannon Berch:<br />
Mycorrhizae of native plants.<br />
VICTORIA NATURAL HIS-<br />
TORY SOCIETY "GREEN<br />
THUMB SHOW'1 — Saturday<br />
March 22,10 a.m.-4 p.m. Garth<br />
Homer Centre, 813 Darwin Av<br />
enue. Theme: natural garden<br />
management.<br />
VANCOUVER ISLAND<br />
ROCK AND ALPINE SHOW<br />
— April 4 and 5, St. Mary's<br />
CHurch on Elgin Avenue (off<br />
<strong>Oak</strong> Bay Avenue). Friday, 2- 9<br />
p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m.-4 p.m.<br />
There is often a good selection<br />
of native plant seeds for sale.<br />
GOMPS BOARD OF DIREC<br />
TORS MEETING — Thurs<br />
day, April 10, 7:30 p.m. at Hal<br />
Gibbard's, 1439 Wende Road,<br />
Victoria.<br />
PUBLIC RELATIONS<br />
ONGOING<br />
GOMPS DISPLAYS: March 8, UVTC Native Plant Symposium<br />
Call Eric Redekop, 595-7270, to suggest locations.<br />
FUND-RAISING COMMITTEE<br />
As our main fund-raiser, GOMPS has for sale full colour posters of a <strong>Garry</strong> oak<br />
and a meadow of camas/buttercups under a bright spring sky. We also have<br />
wildflower placemats, wildflower posters and the <strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Meadow Colloquium<br />
Proceedings for sale. Call Tom Gillespie at 361-1694.<br />
PRESERVATION/RESTORATION COMMITTEE<br />
SEED/SEEDLING EXCHANGE. Interested members contact Katie Stewart at<br />
386-4792.<br />
OPERATION CLEAN SWEEP (broom removal). Call Eric Redekop at 595-<br />
7270 for information.<br />
RESEARCH COMMITTEE<br />
PUBLIC CONSERVATION ASSISTANCE FUND GARRY OAK INVEN<br />
TORY PROJECT. Project coordinator is Paul Gareau, 592-9089.<br />
NEWSLETTER<br />
If you have any contributions — photos, art work, articles, letters of agreement or<br />
disagreement or anything else you'd like to contribute, contact Katie Stewart at<br />
386-4792 or mail to address below.<br />
GARRY OAK MEADOW PRESERVATION SOCIETY<br />
c/o A-954 QUEENS AVENUE, VICTORIA, B.C. V8T 1M6<br />
DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS<br />
OF THE SOCIETY<br />
President and Public Relations Chair Katie Stewart 386-4792<br />
E-mail camassia@bc.sympactico.ca<br />
Vice-President Pierre d'Estrube 477-2410<br />
Treasurer and Finance Chair Tom Gillespie 361-1694<br />
Secretary and Membership<br />
E-mail ua620@freenet.victoria.bc.ca<br />
Development Chair SharronWaite 479-3380<br />
Director and Program Chair Paul Gareau 592-9089<br />
E-mail upgareau@islandnet.com<br />
Director Hal Gibbard 477-2986<br />
Director Janet Simpson 381-6657<br />
NAME<br />
ADDRESS<br />
MEMBERSHIPS AND DONATIONS<br />
MEMBERSHIP DUES:<br />
Q Donation<br />
Q Individual $15 Q Family $20 Please send more information about:<br />
□ Youth and Associate $6 (no newsletter) Q Local sources for <strong>Garry</strong> oak meadow plants<br />
Q Gift memberships, send receipt to:<br />
□ <strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Inventory Project<br />
□ Operation Clean Sweep (broom removal)<br />
□ Growing, planting <strong>Garry</strong> oaks<br />
6 <strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Leaflet
RRY OAK LEAFLET<br />
newsletter of the <strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Meadow Preservation Society Plpril 1997, Vol. 1, Mo 1<br />
Rogers Farm development<br />
by Sharron Waite<br />
In this edition of the Leaflet we are<br />
publishing the map of the proposed<br />
subdivision of Rogers Farm. You can<br />
see the threat to the <strong>Garry</strong> oak stands.<br />
Despite the identification of this part<br />
of the Rogers Farm for preservation<br />
through successive official community<br />
plans, the owners plan to divide this<br />
area with large lots for residential de<br />
velopment.<br />
If the plan is approved, an opportu<br />
nity to increase die size of the Christ<br />
mas Hill Nature Reserve and complete<br />
the greenway between Swan Lake and<br />
Mount Douglas will be lost FOREVER.<br />
The land under the oaks has never<br />
been ploughed, so the soil horizons are<br />
intact. The shrub and herb layer has<br />
been destroyed by grazing, although a<br />
few native bulbs do poke through.<br />
Hence it represents a significant oppor<br />
tunity to test restoration techniques in<br />
the <strong>Garry</strong> oak ecosystem.<br />
Although the developers promise to<br />
covenant the remaining oaks, large<br />
numbers will necessarily be lost from<br />
the canopy. However, GOMPS' recent<br />
experience with other developers (see<br />
the December 1996 Leaflet) demon<br />
strates how weak a tool a covenant is<br />
upon which to pin the survival of an<br />
Continued on page 3<br />
ROGERS FARM OAK WOODLANDS are just a fence away from Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary. GOMPS hopes to see<br />
this area added to the sanctuary. Another view of the woods is shown on pgeS<br />
<strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Leaflet<br />
I
e <strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Leaflet -<br />
The area we would like<br />
to see added to Christ<br />
mas Hill Nature Sanctu<br />
ary are the treed lots<br />
numbered 34-75.
Continued from page 1<br />
ecosystem. There appears to be no<br />
practical way to force an owner or his<br />
agents to comply with a covenant as<br />
they are currently drafted in Saanich,<br />
if they choose to ignore it.<br />
Saanich planners are in the midst of<br />
drafting their reports; the matter should<br />
come before Council in the near future.<br />
The local ratepayers association sup<br />
ports the current proposal (single fam<br />
ily dwellings). Any hope of protecting<br />
this grove rests squarely with those of<br />
us who want it preserved.<br />
The developer's representative has<br />
told this writer that the purchase price<br />
for preservation is $ 1.1 million.<br />
GOMPS was founded in response<br />
to the threats to Christmas Hill. Can<br />
we save this little piece of it? GOMPS<br />
needs help from its members; it will<br />
take energy and dedication from each<br />
of us to achieve this goal.<br />
As I write this, I am sitting in my<br />
mother-in-law's kitchen in southern<br />
Saanich planner replies to our concerns<br />
Re: Rogers Farm Development Unfertunately, in assessing priori<br />
ties, Council lias indicated that it is<br />
ifeatikyoiiforyowkttefofJteoh {ot p^and Nevertheless, the is-<br />
13 eK^8$lnf ooncmis^oiit^e ^ wit be debated as part of the<br />
development
Lost generation hurts Victoria's<br />
rare oaks<br />
VICTORIA'S trademark <strong>Garry</strong> oaks are<br />
fading from the City of Gardens as<br />
the older trees die off with no young ones<br />
to take their place.<br />
This spring, 12 volunteers from the <strong>Garry</strong><br />
<strong>Oak</strong> Meadow Preservation Society finished a<br />
two-year inventory of <strong>Garry</strong> oaks in the City<br />
ofVictoria. The volunteers walked the length<br />
of Victoria's streets, counting each tree.<br />
Paul Gareau, who organized the study,<br />
says the numbers aren't crunched yet, but<br />
the results are obvious. "The trees we are<br />
counting are nearly all old-growth trees."<br />
Younger trees are in short supply, Gareau<br />
says, falling to development and even to<br />
lawn mowers.<br />
The saplings are also more likely to be<br />
choked out by invasive plants such as Scotch<br />
broom, the yellow-flowered shrub that over<br />
The good die young: Paul Gareau<br />
and some arboreal survivors<br />
in Beacon Hill Park<br />
runs many of Victoria's oak groves.<br />
Mblunteers removing broom from stands of<br />
<strong>Garry</strong> oaks find no oak seedlings pushing<br />
up underneath, says Gareau.<br />
Botanist Nancy Turner doesn't find the<br />
inventory's results surprising, given people's<br />
attitudes toward trees. While it's easy to con<br />
vince people that stately, mature trees need<br />
saving, she says, it's harder to argue for<br />
seedlings and saplings.<br />
"There's a whole generation of trees that<br />
hasn't been allowed to grow up and mature,"<br />
she says.<br />
And although trees' life spans are long,<br />
they are finite, and the current generation of<br />
gnarled old oaks are dying off.<br />
"All of a sudden there won't be any to fill<br />
their place and the whole population will<br />
decline," Turner says.<br />
The City of Victoria's parks department is<br />
trying to forestall the problem with a twoyear-old<br />
program of planting seedlings, says<br />
parks manager Yvan Caron.<br />
But it's difficult; because <strong>Garry</strong> oaks grow<br />
slowly, the young plants go through a long<br />
period when they are vulnerable to trampling.<br />
"It's going to be a struggle-there's no<br />
doubt about it," he says.<br />
That struggle may not get much help<br />
from city hall. A draft tree-preservation<br />
bylaw discussed by civic department heads<br />
on Tuesday would protect <strong>Garry</strong> oaks-but<br />
only those with trunks 20 centimetres or<br />
more in diameter.<br />
-Fiona McCaw<br />
Tree bylaw<br />
unnecessary,<br />
Young says<br />
By Richard Watts<br />
Times Colonist staff<br />
Trees in Victoria won't be safe if the<br />
city proceeds with its tree protection bylaw,<br />
Coun. Geoff Young said Thursday.<br />
4The message we are sending out with<br />
this tree preservation bylaw is that 'trees<br />
are trouble,'" said Young, during a meet<br />
ing of council members.<br />
He said the bylaw will make trees so<br />
much trouble to keep that homeowners<br />
will cut them down while they still have<br />
a chance, before the new rules kick in.<br />
'The message is clearly 'The best tree<br />
is a dead tree,'" he said.<br />
The proposed bylaw seeks to protect<br />
<strong>Garry</strong> oaks, arbutus and dogwood trees<br />
from being thoughtlessly chopped down<br />
by homeowners or developers.<br />
The only legal way to chop down a pro<br />
tected tree would be to apply for a treeremoval<br />
permit. And approval would only<br />
be granted if the tree was in the way of an<br />
approved building, a driveway, parking<br />
facilities or if it was diseased.<br />
The proposed bylaw contains fines of<br />
$500 for a first offence and $1,000 for all<br />
subsequent offences.<br />
But Young said the bylaw is unneces<br />
sary because Victoria has lots of trees.<br />
"We do not have a problem in Victoria<br />
with trees," he said. "The general trend is<br />
that trees have been growing."<br />
Councillors in the end decided to table<br />
the bylaw for two weeks to get some<br />
changes made.<br />
For example, some councillors were<br />
upset to see only the native <strong>Garry</strong> oaks,<br />
arbutus and dogwood trees protected when<br />
some non-native, transplanted trees are<br />
also worthy of protection.<br />
Coun. David McLean said he was wor<br />
ried the city might be open to a lawsuit if<br />
they protect a <strong>Garry</strong> oak with a bylaw and<br />
a limb then falls on somebody's house.<br />
'The <strong>Garry</strong> oak is an unpredictable tree,<br />
shedding mighty limbs which otherwise<br />
appear healthy," said McLean.<br />
PUBLISHED IN MONDAY<br />
MAGAZINE<br />
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13, 1997<br />
PUBLISHED IN THE<br />
TIMES-COLONIST<br />
FRIDAY, MARCH 21, 1997<br />
1 <strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Leaflet
■s 2m<br />
Hi<br />
lit<br />
Victoria Council<br />
balking at tree<br />
preservation bylaw<br />
As you can see by the reprinted arti<br />
cle from the Times Colonist, there still<br />
isn't much support from council for the<br />
tree preservation bylaw. Unfortunately,<br />
the Times Colonist editorial from Sun<br />
day, March 23 took a similar myopic<br />
and anthropocentric viewpoint.<br />
GOMPS directors Pierre d'Estrube<br />
and Katie Stewart have both written to<br />
council in response to their doomsday<br />
attitude and ignorance about how few<br />
young <strong>Garry</strong> oaks there are.<br />
Pierre checked with the other mu<br />
nicipalities — <strong>Oak</strong> Bay, Saanich and<br />
Esquimalt—which do have tree pres<br />
ervation bylaws and found that there<br />
had been little tree felling before the<br />
bylaws took effect.<br />
The proposed bylaw is supposed to<br />
come before council this week. Coun<br />
cil has taken a protractive stance on this<br />
issue and it has taken years to get to<br />
this point, where the bylaw might be<br />
passed. We'll try to be in attendance,<br />
if possible.<br />
One note of irony: City of Victoria<br />
Engineering Parks and Public Works<br />
has recognized the lack of <strong>Garry</strong> oak<br />
regeneration in the parks and has be<br />
gun a planting program.<br />
s*<br />
15 i»S * ? *8-g1! g»|.<br />
EDITORIAL PUBLISHED IN THE<br />
TIMES COLONIST SUNDAY MARCH 23, 1997<br />
R<br />
Update Conservancy<br />
Hornby Island<br />
The injunction scheduled for March<br />
24 (see March 1997 <strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Leaf<br />
let) has been postponed twice.<br />
It is now supposed to be heard in<br />
Vancouver on Tuesday, Wednesday<br />
and Thursday, April 8,9 and 10.<br />
Welcome new<br />
members<br />
Michael Meagher, Victoria; Don<br />
Giacomazzi, Aldergrove; Linda Beare<br />
and John Olafson, Victoria; Barbara<br />
Archer, Salt Spring Island and Doris<br />
Rohlfs and Ray Mills, Victoria.<br />
<strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Leaflet 5
New booklet in the Stewardship series<br />
At the Fourth Annual Native Plant<br />
Symposium at UVic on March 8,<br />
GOMPS had its free-standing display<br />
set up as well as a table. Among our<br />
free hand-outs, were 20 copies of the<br />
recently published Stewardship Op<br />
tions for Private Landowners in British<br />
Columbia, which were snapped up<br />
early in the day.<br />
This excellent booklet was written<br />
by Briony Penn with wonderful illus<br />
trations by Briony and her partner,<br />
Donald Gunn.<br />
Part 1 covers researching, retaining<br />
and restoring natural features and habi<br />
tat — the new 3 R's. The fourth R —<br />
retaining — is addressed in part 2.<br />
Included in the first part are a glos<br />
sary of ecological terms; a map of the<br />
ecoprovinces of British Columbia;<br />
landscape vignettes of British Colum<br />
bia, both drawn and descriptive; gen<br />
eral stewardship tips and natural fea<br />
tures and habitats.<br />
Part 2: Reserving Natural Values on<br />
your Land: Legal options for Landown<br />
ers, includes legal terms and legal op<br />
tions for protecting natural features,<br />
conservation organizations and land<br />
trusts, stewardship agreements, trans<br />
fer of title and tax incentives.<br />
If you own land that you would like<br />
to see protected in the short-term or in<br />
perpetuity, this booklet is a good start<br />
ing point.<br />
Copies of this booklet, which is pub<br />
lished by the Canadian and British<br />
Columbian governments, are available<br />
from the Ministry of Environment,<br />
Lands and Parks, Suite 300-1005<br />
Broad Street, Victoria, B.C. V8W 2A1,<br />
phone 1-800-387-9853.<br />
The Stewardship Series is a group of<br />
publications describing stewardship for<br />
various audiences. The series is funded<br />
by federal and provincial governments<br />
in partnership with non-government<br />
organizations on a project by project<br />
basis. Other publications include:<br />
Stream Stewardship: A Guidefor Plan<br />
ners and Developers<br />
Stewardship 1994: Proceedings from<br />
a conference held March 3-5,1994 on<br />
revisiting the land ethic and caring for<br />
the land<br />
Water Stewardship: A Guidefor Teach<br />
ers, Students and Community Groups<br />
The Streamkeepers Handbook: A Prac<br />
tical Guide to Stream and Wetland<br />
Care<br />
Community Stewardship: A Guide to<br />
Establishing Your Own Group<br />
Naturescape British Columbia: Caring<br />
for Wildlife Habitat at Home<br />
Community Greenways: Linking Com<br />
munities to Country, and People to<br />
Nature<br />
Opposite on page 7 is a reproduction<br />
from Stewardship Optionsfor Private<br />
Landowners in British Columbia,<br />
CALENDAR<br />
NATIVE PLANT STUDY GROUP — Thursday, April 17,7 p,m. Cornett<br />
A, Room 120, UVIC. Speaker: Patrick von Anderkas on fern growing<br />
and propagating.<br />
WILDFLOWER WALK — Sundays, April 13 and 27,1-3 p.m. Depart<br />
from Mount Tolmie summit viewpoint. For more information contact Eric<br />
Redekop, 595-7270.<br />
CAMAS DAY — Sunday, April 20, Beacon Hill Park. Wildflower, ar<br />
chaeological and butterfly walks at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Meet near the flag<br />
pole. For more information contact Helen Oldershaw 592-6659 eves.<br />
NATIVE PLANT RESTORATION/BROOM REMOVAL WORK<br />
SHOP — Sunday, April 20, 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Beaver Point Hall and<br />
Ruckle Provincial Park, Salt Spring Island, sponsored by the Salt Spring<br />
Island Conservancy. For more information contact Fiona Flook, 653-9202<br />
or Briony Penn, 653-4880<br />
EARTH WALK—Saturday, April 26. Leaves Centennial Square at noon,<br />
proceeds to Legislature. Speakers and displays.<br />
NATIVE PLANT GARDEN TOUR—Saturday, April 26 and Sunday,<br />
April 27. Maps $6, available at The Field-Naturalist, 1126 Blanshard Street.<br />
For more information contact Jean at 658-5740.<br />
TRIAL ISLAND FIELD TRIP — Sunday, April 27 with Dr. Adolph<br />
Ceska. Cost $25 includes 1-yr. membership in Friends of Ecological Re<br />
serves, which is sponsoring the trip. Pre-register at 388-5690.<br />
6 <strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Leaflet
' BROADLEAF WOODLANDS<br />
(Trembling aspm, red alder, black cotlonwood, paper birch, bigleaf<br />
maple, <strong>Garry</strong> oak and arbutus woodlands)<br />
ECOSYSTEM AT ftlSfc SARRY QAK ECOSYSTEM<br />
European colonists were drawn to Victoria and the<br />
Woodlands of broadleaf trees are not as extensive in British<br />
Columbia as they are in other parts of North America. The exception<br />
is trembling aspen stands which are abundant in the interior and<br />
north. On the coast, you get a variety of types of woodlands. Early<br />
succession^ species such as red alder grow in stands on cutover or<br />
disturbed lands. Big-leaf maples grow in clumps in second growth<br />
forests, arbutus cling to coastal rocky<br />
shores and old growth <strong>Garry</strong> oak<br />
woodlands grow on the driest sites of the<br />
Georgia Lowland and are under severe<br />
threat from urbanization. Cottonwoods<br />
grow on floodplains throughout the<br />
province and birch occurs in the interior<br />
with conifers. Most of these woodlands<br />
are small and part of the larger mosaic<br />
of a coniferous forest and its different<br />
successional stages. Think of alder, birch<br />
and cottonwood as green fertilizers. They<br />
fix nitrogen into the soil and make it<br />
ready for the next stage of conifers to<br />
grow. Mature alders are a favourite of<br />
woodpeckers. Herons also prefer mature<br />
alders for roosts near the shore.<br />
%nt<br />
*
Broom biological<br />
control<br />
At the Fourth Annual Native Plant<br />
Symposium at UVIC on March 8, Dr.<br />
Raj Pasad from the Pacific Forestry<br />
Centre and two ofhis team spoke about<br />
their experiments regarding biological<br />
broom control.<br />
Broom is now aggressively invading<br />
clearcuts where it is impeding the<br />
growth of young planted Douglas-firs.<br />
Five-year-old seedlings are overshad<br />
owed by the broom's canopy and are<br />
not as tall as they would be if there were<br />
no broom.<br />
This lack of growth will ultimately<br />
have an economic effect as broom be<br />
comes more widespread in planted over<br />
areas. The federal government is fund<br />
ing efforts to find some sort of biologi<br />
cal control.<br />
The team has discovered that broom<br />
which has died back has succumbed to<br />
a local fungus and researchers are con<br />
centrating their efforts on experiments<br />
using that fungus as a bioherbicide. Dr.<br />
Prasad expects it will be a 10-year, $6<br />
million dollar effort to determine its<br />
effectiveness, toxicity to other flora and<br />
fauna.<br />
Slides wanted<br />
GOMPS director Sharron Waite gave<br />
a talk and slide presentation on con<br />
serving the <strong>Garry</strong> oak ecosystem at the<br />
Native Plant Symposium in March.<br />
To prepare for it, she was able to go<br />
through and borrow from the slide col<br />
lection of Willie MacGillivray, site<br />
manager at the Swan Lake/Christmas<br />
Hill Nature Sanctuary and she also bor<br />
rowed a few slides from Eric Redekop.<br />
We decided we would like to assem<br />
ble a permanent photographic slide col<br />
lection for GOMPS. We hope to ob<br />
tain slides ofnative flora and fauna and<br />
activities associated with <strong>Garry</strong> oaks/<br />
meadows/woodlands including build<br />
ing developments, plant rescues,<br />
broom bashing etc.<br />
If any members can help out, please<br />
contact Sharron Waite, 479-3380 or<br />
Katie Stewart, 396-4792.<br />
PUBLIC RELATIONS<br />
ONGOING<br />
GOMPS DISPLAYS: April 4, Environmental Awareness Day, UVic<br />
FUND-RAISING COMMITTEE<br />
As our main fund-raiser, GOMPS has for sale full colour posters of a <strong>Garry</strong> oak<br />
and a meadow of camas/buttercups under a bright spring sky. We also have<br />
wildflower placemats, wildflower posters and the <strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Meadow Colloquium<br />
Proceedings for sale. Call Tom Gillespie at 361-1694.<br />
PRESERVATION/RESTORATION COMMITTEE<br />
SEED/SEEDLING EXCHANGE. Interested members contact Katie Stewart at<br />
386-4792.<br />
OPERATION CLEAN SWEEP (broom removal). Call Eric Redekop at 595-<br />
7270 for information.<br />
RESEARCH COMMITTEE<br />
PUBLIC CONSERVATION ASSISTANCE FUND GARRY OAK INVEN<br />
TORY PROJECT. Project coordinator is Paul Gareau, 592-9089.<br />
NEWSLETTER<br />
If you have any contributions — photos, art work, articles, letters of agreement or<br />
disagreement or anything else you'd like to contribute, contact Katie Stewart at<br />
386-4792 or mail to address below.<br />
GARRY OAK MEADOW PRESERVATION SOCIETY<br />
c/o A-954 QUEENS AVENUE, VICTORIA, B.C. V8T 1M6<br />
DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS<br />
OF THE SOCIETY<br />
President and Public Relations Chair Katie Stewart 386-4792<br />
E-mail camassia@bc.sympactico.ca<br />
Vice-President Pierre d'Estrube 477-2410<br />
Treasurer and Finance Chair Tom Gillespie 361-1694<br />
E-mail ua620@freenet.victoria.bc.ca<br />
Secretary and Membership<br />
Development Chair Sharron Waite 479-3380<br />
Director and Program Chair Paul Gareau 592-9089<br />
E-mail upgareau@islandnet.com<br />
Director HalGibbard 477-2986<br />
Director Janet Simpson 381-6657<br />
NAME<br />
ADDRESS<br />
MEMBERSHIPS AND DONATIONS<br />
MEMBERSHIP DUES:<br />
□ Individual $15 □ Family $20<br />
□ Donation<br />
Please send more information about:<br />
□ Youth and Associate $6 (no newsletter) □ Local sources for <strong>Garry</strong> oak meadow plants<br />
□ Gift memberships, send receipt to:<br />
□ <strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Inventory Project<br />
□ Operation Clean Sweep (broom removal)<br />
□ Growing, planting <strong>Garry</strong> oaks<br />
6 <strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Leaflet
RRY OAK LEAFLET<br />
newsletter of the <strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Meadow Preservation Society May 1997, VoM, ho 5<br />
Report from CPAWS parks conference<br />
by Katie Stewart<br />
From April 11-13, GOMPS directors Sharron Waite and<br />
Katie Stewart attended the "Working Together to Sustain<br />
Parks and Protected Areas" forum in Vancouver. Its objec<br />
tive was "to create new ways of working together to meet<br />
the conservation and recreation mandates of parks and pro<br />
tected areas in the face of system expansion, increasing use<br />
and diminishing management resources."<br />
Yet federal and provincial parks budgets don't reflect<br />
this importance as other jurisdictions such as health and edu<br />
cation compete for tax dollars.<br />
He says we are now being forced to stress economic<br />
values, i.e. tourism, when land is acquired for parks. One<br />
succinct quote: "Parks are about the soul, not the wallet."<br />
Continued on page 2<br />
The forum brought together many bureaucrats from sev<br />
eral levels of government — Parks Canada, B.C. Parks,<br />
Greater Vancouver Regional District Parks (GVRD) and<br />
Capital Regional District (CRD) Parks — and representa<br />
tives from many non-governmental organizations from all<br />
over British Columbia.<br />
Budget cutbacks<br />
One dominant message from the first day of the confer<br />
ence was that many Canadians view their national parks as<br />
a major symbol of national identity, yet the financial sup<br />
port required to manage the parks isn't fully there, due to<br />
federal and provincial budget cutbacks.<br />
Parks Canada is coping with $97 million less. Dennis<br />
O'Gorman, assistant deputy minister of BC Parks, didn't<br />
give a dollar figure but he did say there has been a 40 per<br />
cent increase in parks usage in recent years.<br />
BC Parks has the second largest park system in Canada<br />
(largest is the national system) and has increased its hold<br />
ings by almost 50 per cent since 1991. And locally, with the<br />
new Sooke Hills Wilderness Park, CRD Parks will double<br />
in size.<br />
Fourteen and half percent ($1.67 million annually to<br />
the year 2016) of the GVRD Parks budget is allotted to ex<br />
isting debt charges, thereby limiting funds needed for park<br />
maintenance and operations.<br />
According to keynote speaker Harvey Locke, past na<br />
tional president of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness So<br />
ciety (CPAWS), in a survey done for BC Parks in 1995, 80<br />
percent of the respondents rated the preservation of natural THREE ERYTHRONIUM OREGONUM flowers on one stem,<br />
environments and the protection of wildlife as very impor- There is USUally one flower.<br />
tant.<br />
Photo by Katis St6W3rt<br />
— <strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Leaflet I
alists, spoke about the necessity of Several featured speakers over the<br />
maintaining and expanding ecological course of the weekend said that within<br />
a few years the protected areas of BC<br />
reserves.<br />
No more protected areas?<br />
will be completed. Perhaps they meant<br />
the PAS.<br />
The provincial government's Pro<br />
In casual conversations outside of<br />
tected Area Strategy (PAS) has the<br />
workshops, several participants disa<br />
laudable goal of having 12 percent of<br />
greed with that assumption. Many rep<br />
the province protected by the year<br />
resentatives came from all over the<br />
2000. The goals of the strategy, to quote<br />
province on behalfof groups which are<br />
the BC Parks overview given to us "are<br />
working hard to seek protection of ar<br />
to conserve representative examples of<br />
eas of ecological importance.<br />
B.C.'s diverse ecological and geo<br />
graphic zones; and special recreational,<br />
natural and cultural features."<br />
Jake Masselink, past assistant deputy<br />
minister of BC Parks, stated emphati<br />
cally in a panel discussion on finan<br />
So far 9.2 percent or 8.26 million cial resourcing, that unlike the former<br />
hectares are protected. However, of the NDP government, which was green,<br />
100 "ecosections", 27 percent have the current government is brown, and<br />
more than 12 percent protected, 27 more like the Liberals.<br />
percent have between 3 and 12 per cent<br />
protected and 46 percent of the<br />
Stewardship partnerships<br />
ecosections have 3 percent or less of<br />
One way to stretch inadequate finan<br />
their representative ecosections within<br />
protected areas. And <strong>Garry</strong> oak habi<br />
cial resources is through stewardship<br />
partnerships.<br />
tat certainly falls at the bottom end of In 1995 approximately 2500 volun<br />
that category.<br />
teers acted as park hosts, built trails,<br />
Our brief meeting with Environment, Lands<br />
and Parks Minister Cathy McGregor<br />
Cathy McGregor spoke at the con Leaflet).<br />
ference for 15 minutes on Friday af<br />
Ministerial assistant Roseanne<br />
ternoon. CPAWS organizers suggested<br />
Moran asked if we'd sent a letter. (I<br />
that, rather than Ms McGregor circu<br />
didn't say, oh yes, to the last two envi<br />
lating among the afternoon workshops,<br />
ronment ministers.) We said that we<br />
people might like an opportunity to<br />
would.<br />
meet with the minister for five minutes.<br />
I rushed over to the sign-up list. Ac<br />
Subsequent to our conversation,<br />
cordingly, Sharron, Katie and GOMPS<br />
Sharron, Willie and I met and drafted<br />
member Willie Macgillivray, who was<br />
a letter, with specific mention of the<br />
also at the conference, discussed over<br />
Rogers Farm oak woodlands being<br />
lunch what we could say in five min added to the Christmas Hill Nature<br />
utes regarding <strong>Garry</strong> oak habitat.<br />
Sanctuary, the need for critical legis<br />
lation and a reminder that although the<br />
Sharron, our designated speaker,<br />
Ministry of Environment had pub<br />
summed up the current states of <strong>Garry</strong><br />
lished a brochure calling the <strong>Garry</strong> oak<br />
oak ecosystems and Rogers Farm and<br />
ecosystem "at risk" in 1993, nothing<br />
I mentioned the possibility of special<br />
has been done to protect it since and<br />
legislation to protected the ecosystem,<br />
that we've lost and continue to lose,<br />
as suggested by Calvin Sandborn in his<br />
even more habitat.<br />
book Green Space and Growth, Conserving<br />
Natural Areas in British Co We also invited Ms Moran to view<br />
lumbia (see October 1996 <strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> the critical area of Rogers Farm.<br />
Conference continued from page 1<br />
Increasing revenue<br />
One theme of the forum was to<br />
look at economic benefits of parks and<br />
ways to increase revenue. According<br />
to B.C. Parks figures:<br />
* parks contribute $420 million to the<br />
provincial gross domestic product;<br />
* for each dollar spent on provincial<br />
parks operations, there were about nine<br />
dollars in visitor expenditures;<br />
* about three-quarters of these economic<br />
benefits occur outside the<br />
Vancouver and Victoria regions;<br />
* provincial parks generate $ 171 mil<br />
lion ($129 million and $42 million) in<br />
tax revenues for the federal and pro<br />
vincial governments respectively;<br />
•the parks budget is $33-1/2 million.<br />
It was clear, at least at the Parks<br />
Canada and BC Parks level, that man<br />
agers are grappling with ways to in<br />
crease revenue, including corporate<br />
sponsorships. They maintained that<br />
parks would never become<br />
"McArches" parks, but that corpora<br />
tions could fund, for example, nature<br />
houses, and are already doing so.<br />
BC Parks has been able to utilize<br />
money from Forest Renewal British<br />
Columbia: 144 projects such as trail<br />
development and upgrading and<br />
campground development have been<br />
funded over the last two fiscal years, a<br />
value of $13.6 million.<br />
Response of NGO's<br />
NGO's have other concerns besides<br />
finance. They cite Banff as the most<br />
obvious example of commercialization<br />
run amuck. Ecological integrity of<br />
parks is the prime concern of CPAWS.<br />
Panelist Mark Haddock, a CPAWS<br />
director, said strong legislation regard<br />
ing conservation was needed, ecologi<br />
cal inventories were necessary and<br />
proper planning with strict environ<br />
mental assessments has to occur before<br />
any commercial development.<br />
Another panelist, Frances Vyse, past<br />
president of the Federation ofBC Natue<br />
<strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Leaflet
monitored ecological reserves and pro<br />
vided a variety ofother services for BC<br />
Parks.<br />
One example given was from a rep<br />
resentative of GETPARC — Golden<br />
Ears Trail Preservation and Restoration<br />
Club. User groups—hikers, field natu<br />
ralists, equestrians, llama packers and<br />
mountain bikers — are working by<br />
consensus within a society structure to<br />
preserve and restore 60 km of trails<br />
within the heavily used Fraser Valley<br />
park. They are fund raising to achieve<br />
this and are an active participant in de<br />
cision making with BC Parks.<br />
Last year GVRD Parks formed a Re<br />
gional Partnership Steering Committee<br />
and designated four pilot parks sites for<br />
partnership associations with commu<br />
nity groups, including Pacific Spirit<br />
Park (formerly the University of Brit<br />
ish Columbia endowment lands).<br />
These park partnership associations<br />
are "community-based, non-profit vol<br />
untary organizations that provide fo<br />
rums to bring citizens together, in part<br />
nership with the GVRD, to plan and<br />
co-manage regional parks," according<br />
to the GVRD Parks background paper.<br />
They are "essential," according to the<br />
same paper.<br />
Parks stewardship program<br />
Another focus of the forum was to<br />
establish a parks stewardship program<br />
through CPAWS. Its goals, according<br />
to the draft paper prepared for the fo<br />
rum, would be to promote ecological<br />
integrity within the protected area sys<br />
tem of British Columbia and to build<br />
the capacity of grassroots groups to<br />
protect the ecological integrity of pro<br />
tected areas.<br />
The draft paper, written by Serena<br />
Aduino of CPAWS, listed many items<br />
for possible discussion during work<br />
shops. My group barely got into it. We<br />
got bogged down over the exclusion<br />
of the advocacy (lobbying) role that is<br />
an important function of some groups,<br />
including GOMPS.<br />
Sharron and I both think that is also<br />
a part of stewardship but CPAWS or<br />
ganizers don't want to include that<br />
within the mandate of a stewardship<br />
network.<br />
Discussion late Saturday and Sunday<br />
morning indicated that the number one<br />
issue for most groups is having the re<br />
sources to function effectively, includ<br />
ing access to bureaucracy, information,<br />
training and expertise. And, of course,<br />
money.<br />
Unfortunately, I didn't take many<br />
notes during the stewardship work<br />
shops. However, I can say that CPAWS<br />
will initiate a parks stewardship pro<br />
gram and that we will have further op<br />
portunities for input.<br />
Networking at the conference<br />
One valuable result of conferences<br />
is, of course, making contacts.<br />
□ Kate Smallwood, coordinator for<br />
the BC Endangered Species Coalition,<br />
sought me out and thought GOMPS<br />
would be a natural ally, since many<br />
plant species of the <strong>Garry</strong> oak ecosys<br />
tem are rare and endangered and ought<br />
to have protected status.<br />
□ Audra Fast, coordinator for<br />
CPAWS' Grasslands Conservation<br />
Council, told Sharron and I of the sec<br />
ond grasslands symposium which had<br />
been held in Naramata, B.C. in Decem<br />
ber 1996. She suggested GOMPS<br />
might like to be included in the coun<br />
cil. She is preparing a brochure which<br />
will include the <strong>Garry</strong> oak ecosystem.<br />
□ John Brady, a member of the Victo<br />
ria Natural History Society Parks and<br />
Conservation Committee and I discov<br />
ered that we are both interested in or<br />
ganizing a conference on stewardship<br />
issues, hopefully with CRD Parks, to<br />
which municipal and other parks staff<br />
in the Victoria region as well as local<br />
"Friends of and conservancy groups<br />
will be invited. Since the forum John<br />
has already met with Lloyd Rushton,<br />
CRD Parks Administrator. John and I<br />
have also had a meeting and will draft<br />
a letter in early June to go out to all the<br />
groups we can think of to see if there<br />
is interest.<br />
□ Sharron and Katie met Anne<br />
Morrison, GVRD Community Devel<br />
opment Coordinator and will arrange<br />
with her to come to Victoria to con<br />
duct a volunteer development work<br />
shop to which local groups will be in<br />
vited.<br />
Wanted —<br />
significant oak trees<br />
Eric Redekop would like to photo<br />
graph beautiful and stately <strong>Garry</strong> oaks<br />
as well as oaks of personal significance<br />
to people, such as a tree with a swing<br />
on it. He also wants to photograph oak<br />
stumps, preferably recently cut with<br />
sawdust alongside, or oak trees in the<br />
process of being cut down. If you can<br />
help, please phone him at S9S-7270.<br />
GOMPS Board<br />
The Board of Directors has changed<br />
slightly since the March Annual Gen<br />
eral Meeting.<br />
There was no rush of candidates<br />
seeking directorships, so all five of the<br />
existing directors were acclaimed.<br />
However, our constitution states that<br />
no director can serve more than two<br />
terms in an office, so Hal Gibbard has<br />
assumed the position of treasurer.<br />
Many thanks to Tom Gillespie for<br />
his work ofkeeping the society's books<br />
together for the last four years.<br />
Visit Eric's garden<br />
Eric Redekop welcomes any<br />
GOMPS member who would like to<br />
view his native plant garden, now in<br />
bloom. Much of the material was sal<br />
vaged from the highway widening<br />
project. Call 595-7270 to arrange a<br />
time of you are interested.<br />
<strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Leaflet 3
BC Endangered Species Coalition<br />
by Kate Smallwood<br />
Dear Friends:<br />
If you are concerned about the fate<br />
of biodiversity and endangered species<br />
in British Columbia, the B.C. Endan<br />
gered Species Coalition needs your<br />
help!<br />
We can not wait any longer...<br />
It is already too late for the whitetailed<br />
jackrabbit, the sage grouse, the<br />
yellow-billed cuckoo, the short-horned<br />
lizard, and many others. They have<br />
joined the ranks of the passenger pi<br />
geon. They are extinct or gone forever<br />
from British Columbia.<br />
British Columbia has greater eco<br />
logical and biodiversity than any other<br />
Canadian province or territory, but the<br />
province's ecosystems and species are<br />
under serious threat from habitat loss<br />
and other factors.<br />
According to the Ministry of Envi<br />
ronment, 68 of B.C. 's species of verte<br />
brate plants and 224 of our vascular<br />
plants are threatened or endangered (or<br />
candidates for these designations).<br />
Another 451 species are considered<br />
vulnerable.<br />
Efforts to improve this situation are<br />
seriously hampered by the fact that<br />
B.C. has no endangered species legis<br />
lation. Existing provisions under the<br />
Wildlife Act have been essentially in<br />
effective due to their highly discretion<br />
ary nature and limited coverage.<br />
The time is ripe for the provincial<br />
government to enact legislation to safe<br />
guard endangered species and their<br />
habitat. The provincial government has<br />
pledged itselfto fill this legislative gap<br />
more than once.<br />
Federal legislation promised for fall<br />
1996 will do little to save endangered<br />
species without a strong commitment<br />
from the provinces to do their part.<br />
The BC Endangered Species Coali<br />
tion is a group of environmental and<br />
community groups who support the<br />
1 <strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Leaflet<br />
following points for law reform. We<br />
urge you to join the coalition by en<br />
dorsing this platform!<br />
1. Provincial endangered species<br />
legislation should require that all spe<br />
cies which are endangered, threatened<br />
or vulnerable ushall" be listedforpro<br />
tection.<br />
Because of the discretionary nature<br />
of the process, in the history of the<br />
Wildlife Act only four species have<br />
ever been designated as threatened or<br />
endangered.<br />
Under the current law, plants, inver<br />
tebrates and even fish are excluded!<br />
Listing must be mandatory. Species<br />
should be defined broadly to cover all<br />
types of plant and animal life, includ<br />
ing subspecies and geographically dis<br />
tinct populations.<br />
2. Identification ofthe habitat ofall<br />
listed species should be mandatory.<br />
The new endangered species law<br />
should automatically protect the criti<br />
cal habitat ofthreatened or endangered<br />
species.<br />
Habitat destruction is the number one<br />
cause of species decline in Canada. Ef<br />
fective endangered species legislation<br />
should have priority over other land use<br />
legislation and the new law should ap<br />
ply to public and private lands.<br />
All projects and activities which may<br />
affect listed species or their habitat<br />
should undergo advance review, in<br />
cluding environmental assessment.<br />
The provincial government and each<br />
of its ministries should ensure that all<br />
provincial policies, programs and ac<br />
tions are consistent with the protection<br />
ofbiodiversity and in particular, of spe<br />
cies at risk.<br />
Activities which cannot be con<br />
ducted without adversely affecting<br />
threatened or endangered species, or<br />
their critical habitat, should not pro<br />
ceed.<br />
3. Listing and habitat identification<br />
should be carried out on the recom<br />
mendation of a Scientific Advisory<br />
Board and based soled on ecological<br />
and scientific principles. There should<br />
be opportunitiesfor public involvement<br />
and traditional knowledge should be<br />
fully integrated in the process.<br />
All species that are truly threatened<br />
or endangered should receive legal pro<br />
tection, regardless of political expedi<br />
ency. Aboriginal people, landowners<br />
and other community members often<br />
have significant expertise regarding<br />
species at risk.<br />
4. The legislation should prohibit a<br />
broad range of activities harmful to<br />
listed species, including: harassing,<br />
wounding, killing and capturing them.<br />
It should also be offence to collect,<br />
possess, import, export, trade in or<br />
transport species at risk, and the law<br />
should cover any attempts to carry out<br />
such activities.<br />
The prohibitions in the legislation<br />
should be designed to provide maxi<br />
mum protection for species at risk.<br />
All developmental stages of species<br />
should be protected, as should parts and<br />
derivatives derived from those species.<br />
Penalties should be severe enough to<br />
provide a genuine deterrent.<br />
Exceptions from these prohibitions<br />
would only be available in limited<br />
cases, such as activities particular to<br />
the heritage of aboriginal peoples (if<br />
the activity won't significantly under<br />
mine the survival or recovery of the<br />
species in the wild, and all measures<br />
to minimize the impact of the action<br />
have been taken) or to prevent imme<br />
diate threats to human safety.<br />
5. The legislation should require the<br />
development and implementation of<br />
recovery plans for listed species.<br />
Ecosystem based recovery efforts are<br />
essential to stabilizing and improving<br />
the situation of endangered species. A<br />
recovery team consisting of persons<br />
with expertise about the species, in-
eluding aboriginal groups and officials<br />
from affected government departments,<br />
should be assembled for each species.<br />
<strong>Recovery</strong> plans must have legal force.<br />
In 1994 the provincial environment<br />
minister told representatives of the BC<br />
Endangered Species Coalition that he<br />
was not convinced there was sufficient<br />
public support for an Endangered Spe<br />
cies Act. We know this is not the case!<br />
Let the provincial government know<br />
that British Columbians want strongly<br />
enforced legislation to protect endan<br />
gered species and their habitat. Join the<br />
coalition of groups who support law<br />
reform in this area.<br />
If you have any questions, contact<br />
me, the Campaign Coordinator at 604-<br />
601-2507 or 1-800-330-9235. Our ad<br />
dress is Endangered Species Coalition,<br />
c/o West Coast Environmental Law<br />
Assoc, 1001-207 West Hastings St.,<br />
Vancouver, B.C. V6B 1H7. Donations<br />
are welcome and are tax-deductible.<br />
Ed. note. I met Kate at the parks fo<br />
rum in Vancouver The GOMPS board<br />
will discuss GOMPS becoming a mem<br />
ber of the coalition at our May board<br />
meeting. I am not sure whether or not<br />
the coalition intends to "make use of"<br />
the Conservation Data Centre. I<br />
thought I d include a little information<br />
about it.<br />
The British Columbia Conservation<br />
Data Centre (CDC) has been collect<br />
ing data since 1991 on endangered spe<br />
cies. According to their brochure, per<br />
sonnel use a "combination of compu<br />
ter, map and paper files to retrieve and<br />
analyze the location of threatened and<br />
endangered elements (plants, animals<br />
and communities) in British Columbia.<br />
'The CDC uses information from<br />
scientists, naturalists, published and<br />
unpublished reports and museum col<br />
lections. These data are augmented and<br />
updated with field work by the CDC<br />
scientists and cooperators."<br />
According to their web site on the<br />
internet, the CDC "is also a partner of<br />
the Natural Heritage Network, an in<br />
ternational oiganization of cooperating<br />
conservation data centres and heritage<br />
programs all using the same method<br />
ology to gather and exchange informa<br />
tion on the threatened elements of<br />
biodiversity."<br />
The CDC uses an established rank<br />
ing system, both globally and provincially.<br />
For example, the yellow<br />
montane violet (viola praemorsa ssp<br />
praemorsa) I mention in my 44notes<br />
from the president" column, is rated as<br />
"imperilled provincially because of<br />
extreme rarity or because of some<br />
factor(s) making it especially vulner<br />
able to extinction. Typically 6 to 20<br />
occurrences or few remaining individu<br />
als (1,000 to 3,000)."<br />
Wildflower conservation award<br />
The Canadian Wildlflower Society<br />
honoured the <strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Meadow Pres<br />
ervation Society by giving our society<br />
one of its three annual conservation<br />
awards last fall at their annual general<br />
meeting for our "successful efforts to<br />
educate the public and preserve <strong>Garry</strong><br />
oak habitat on Vancouver Island."<br />
The award, a beautifully framed print<br />
by Pamela Meacher, arrived just in time<br />
for our AGM meeting in March. The<br />
Board of Directors has asked Willie<br />
Macgillivray, site manager for Swan<br />
Lake/Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary,<br />
if it could be hung at the Swan Lake<br />
Nature House. So look for it there, fel<br />
low members. Unfortunately, our at<br />
tempts at photographing it for replica-<br />
Welcome new members<br />
Mona J. Hoi ley, Victoria; Dr. David<br />
G. Edwards, Victoria; Bob McKechnie,<br />
Victoria; Harold Macy, Courtenay;<br />
Jason Lesage, Victoria; Betty and Allen<br />
Brooks, Black Creek; Melda<br />
Buchanan, Comox and Norma Morton,<br />
Comox.<br />
GOMPS on internet<br />
Although GOMPS does not yet have<br />
an internet home page, we do have<br />
some presence in the Langford Lake<br />
Area Protection Society's site.<br />
Check out www.ultranet.ca/<br />
LLAPS.index.html — there is a map<br />
of native vegetative zones and under<br />
native plant communities, quite a bit<br />
(from our brochure) on <strong>Garry</strong> oak com<br />
munities and information on contact<br />
ing GOMPS.<br />
tion in the newsletter were not success<br />
ful.<br />
The Board very much appreciates the<br />
Canadian Wildflower Society's recog<br />
nition of our society's efforts.<br />
The other recipients of the award<br />
were the Windsor Tree Commission,<br />
Windsor, Nova Scotia for their "exem<br />
plary work in the regreening of public<br />
and private property, and school<br />
grounds, with native plants, using an<br />
ecosystem community involvement<br />
approach and Norris Denman for his<br />
decade of outstanding writing in<br />
Wildflower magazine. His unique<br />
blend of solid science and folksy style<br />
have made Norris one of Wildflower's<br />
most popular writers."<br />
Calendar<br />
WILDFLOWER WALK —<br />
Sundays, May 18, June 1 and<br />
15,1-3 p.m. Depart from Mount<br />
Tolmie summit viewpoint. Call<br />
Eric Redekop, 595-7270.<br />
BIOREGIONAL MAPPING<br />
WORKSHOP—Sunday, May<br />
18, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. UVIC down<br />
town campus, 110-910 Govern<br />
ment Street. For details, call Silas<br />
598-6383 or DIGS 386-3447.<br />
SOCIETY FOR CONSERVA<br />
TION BIOLOGY CONVEN<br />
TION — Friday, June 6 -Mon<br />
day, June 9, UVIC. For informa<br />
tion contact Pat McGuire, Con<br />
ference Management, University<br />
of Victoria, P.O. Box 3030, Vic<br />
toria, B.C. V8W 3N6. Phone 721-<br />
8470, fax 721-8774.<br />
<strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Leaflet 5
What you can do in 5 minutes to help protect an oak meadow<br />
by Janet Simpson<br />
At the north end of the Juan de Fuca<br />
Recreation Centre grounds is a beauti<br />
ful camas-covered meadow of young<br />
and mature <strong>Garry</strong> oaks. While<br />
Colwood's Official Community Plan<br />
recognizes this area as "ecologically<br />
sensitive" and one of the handful of<br />
dominant <strong>Garry</strong> oak, arbutus and as<br />
pen woodlands in the community, the<br />
Rec. Centre has deemed it appropriate<br />
to allow for 18 disc-golf (or frisbeegolf)<br />
runs to crisscross the meadow.<br />
Existing damage and potential dan<br />
ger to the meadow is obvious: discs<br />
frequently hit trees instead of the metal<br />
cylinders they are aimed at (the loud<br />
ringing of a disc hitting a cylinder in<br />
dicates the force with which the oak<br />
would be hit), white directional signs<br />
have been nailed into oaks, trails run<br />
over oak roots, wildflowers are crushed<br />
and the course advocates admit that the<br />
area "poses a significant fire hazard<br />
during dry weather."<br />
This disc-golf course was approved<br />
on a trial basis; its continuation will<br />
be approved or denied in September.<br />
The brochure handed out to partici<br />
pants cautions them, "Do not act in a<br />
manner that would jeopardize its con<br />
tinued existence." There is another 9-<br />
hole "natural object course" beside the<br />
Rotary Park.<br />
The "course pro" is Mike McCrae,<br />
at 477-8428. He has assembled a site<br />
on the internet — www.islandnet.com/<br />
discgolf — where he credits himself<br />
for making the first designated disc golf<br />
course in Victoria possible. Apparently<br />
he put together a formal proposal with<br />
a 300-signature petition to the Juan de<br />
Fuca Parks and Recreation Commis<br />
sion in July 1996 and received their<br />
support. He also credits the person who<br />
"spotted this place over a decade ago."<br />
The internet site features photos of<br />
the rocky outcrops and course and<br />
some descriptions of the course. It also<br />
gives explicit directions for players<br />
coming from the ferry or by bus or bike<br />
to get to the site. This will not be a mini<br />
mal-use site.<br />
This summer the Canadian National<br />
championships are being held in Vic<br />
toria on July 21, "the World Cup Tuneup<br />
Tourney." You can imagine the use<br />
the course is going to get at that time.<br />
Using this area will severely impact the<br />
oak meadows.<br />
The more phone calls and letters the<br />
Rec Centre administration receives, the<br />
less inclined it will be to endorse the<br />
destruction of its most precious natu<br />
ral feature.<br />
Write to Brian Storrier,<br />
Head Administrator<br />
Juan de Fuca Recreation Centre<br />
1767 Island Highway<br />
Victoria, B.C. V9B Ul<br />
or phone him at 478-8384 or fax him<br />
at 474-8650 or call me to join forces,<br />
381-6657.<br />
Centennial pool<br />
fc UPPER SITE PARKING {<br />
Area within dark circled area<br />
is full of <strong>Garry</strong> oaks<br />
6 <strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Leaflet
IN A NUTSHELL:<br />
NOTES FROM THE PRESIDENT<br />
Don Vincent, husband of the late<br />
Wilma Vincent, a former GOMPS di<br />
rector, died on April 30. Don and<br />
Wilma lived on Blenkinsop Road,<br />
where they moved in the fall of 19721<br />
The following spring, they discovered<br />
Yvildflowers growing in the lawn<br />
among the oaks.<br />
For the remainder of their lives, they<br />
nurtured the wildflowers, which flour<br />
ished and multiplied as a result of the<br />
Vincents adapting to the natural cycles<br />
of the shooting stars, fawn and choco<br />
late lilies and camas before mowing<br />
their lawn.<br />
Despite admonitions from some peo<br />
ple to cut the "unsightly" stems and<br />
grass once the flowers had bloomed<br />
and begun to fade, the Vincents al<br />
lowed the plants to set their seed, re<br />
sulting in the spreading of the<br />
wildflowers over their 1/2-acre prop<br />
erty.<br />
The Vincents' yard was often pho<br />
tographed, most recently in an article<br />
in Canadian Gardening (see next<br />
item).<br />
The April 1997 edition of Canadian<br />
Gardening magazine featured on arti<br />
cle called "To Preserve mid Protect"<br />
by Peter Symcox. In it, Mr. Symcox<br />
lamented about th^endangered state of<br />
the <strong>Garry</strong> oak ecosystem, and featured<br />
five homeowners, including Don Vin<br />
cent, in the Victoria area who retain<br />
parts of their property in a natural state.<br />
"Only a few clumps of camas, Easter<br />
lilies or other wildflowers are found<br />
today, so ruthless has been their exter<br />
mination by recent development prac<br />
tices. It seems that to colonize meant<br />
not only to relocate native people ...<br />
but to eradicate an entire arboreal eco<br />
system. It's precisely for this reason<br />
that many people are attempting to pre<br />
serve the few remaining stands of<br />
wildflowers on private properties, and<br />
to recreate, even in small areas, the<br />
savannah-like parklands ofyesteryear."<br />
Mr. Symcox also took the excellent<br />
colour photographs of the five proper<br />
ties featured, including close-ups of<br />
camas, satin-flowers and fawn lilies.<br />
Just back from a walk through Sum<br />
mit Park, the closest <strong>Garry</strong> oak<br />
meadow to my house. I was infiiriated<br />
a few weeks ago when I noticed that<br />
someone had dug up a large area of<br />
grass on one side of the main path and<br />
there was even a larger pile on the<br />
other, where some of the dirt was piled<br />
up. I couldn't figure out if someone was<br />
digging up camas or trying to dig up a<br />
bush.<br />
I found out from another member of<br />
Friends of Summit Park that an adult<br />
male had decided to make a hill tojump<br />
his bike over. Another visitor to the<br />
park noticed him digging but didn't say<br />
anything. I was afraid the dirt was piled<br />
over an area of the very endangered<br />
prairie violet (viola praemorsa) but<br />
was relieved tonight to find the patch<br />
elsewhere as I looked carefully for it.<br />
City crews do, however, mow over a<br />
small section of the violets, unfortu<br />
nately, and we'll have to point it out to<br />
them.<br />
I saw two dogs romping through the<br />
meadows, so I said to die nearest owner<br />
as she approached me, "Your dog is<br />
supposed to be on a leash." She gave<br />
me a sour look and said, "Oh come on,<br />
this is my park. I've lived here all my<br />
life."<br />
I said, "This is a natural park and<br />
your dog shouldn't be tearing through<br />
the flowers. There's a sign posted by<br />
the entrance," and I pointed to it. She<br />
said, "My dog is only a pup."<br />
I replied, "Everyone thinks they<br />
should be the exception, like the peo<br />
ple who ignore the 'Do not pick the<br />
wildflowers sign,'" and I walked away.<br />
I'm going to keep approaching peo<br />
ple, though I'm not comfortable doing<br />
it, rather than let something slide by<br />
me that disturbs me.<br />
On a rainy April 30,1 visited Hornby<br />
Island to see what the "1000 <strong>Oak</strong>s<br />
Grove" looks like in spring. Hornby<br />
is farther north than Victoria, so fawn<br />
lilies were still in bloom, and the first<br />
of the camas were just beginning to<br />
bloom. In the grove, three deer were<br />
munching in the meadow. I noticed<br />
many species of meadow plants. I was<br />
most surprised, though, to see in adja<br />
cent Helliwell Park, the largest num<br />
bers of chocolate lilies I have ever seen.<br />
These were not readily accessible to<br />
the deer, however, but underneath pine<br />
trees on the cliffs above the sea.<br />
Conservancy Hornby Island lost its<br />
appeal against the approval of the<br />
"1000 <strong>Oak</strong>s Grove." John Edward,<br />
who attended the proceedings in Van<br />
couver on behalf of the conservancy,<br />
said they lost on all die points they<br />
brought up, including public interest<br />
being ignored. He told me the judge<br />
said that the approving officer is not<br />
obligated to respond to the public in<br />
terest.<br />
Keith Sorensen, the developer, can<br />
now register the lots. Mr. Edward said<br />
that at least two dwellings will be built<br />
in the oak grove and others will be built<br />
on the edge.<br />
The conservancy does not have the<br />
funds to do a further appeal and may<br />
be obligated to pay for court costs of<br />
the April appeal.<br />
While I was in the Courtenay area, I<br />
noticed a sign on the highway for na<br />
tive plants. When I tracked down the<br />
location, I found Streamside Native<br />
Continued on page 8<br />
<strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Leaflet 7
Continued from page 7<br />
Plants, a two-year-old business oper<br />
ated by Richard and Barbara Proctor.<br />
Their catalogue is substantial, with<br />
over 143 species listed. Some species<br />
are available are from the <strong>Garry</strong> oak<br />
ecosystem, including <strong>Garry</strong> oaks.<br />
The nursery is located in a cleared<br />
and wooded area. Mr. Porter took me<br />
for a walk along a stream on the prop<br />
erty, which he says gives prospective<br />
plant buyers some idea ofplants in their<br />
natural setting. Many trillium and fawn<br />
lilies were in full bloom and devil's<br />
club, which forms some of the ripar<br />
ian canopy, was just coining into leaf.<br />
A salmonid enhancement project is<br />
underway in the stream.<br />
Mr. Porter told me that the two beds<br />
of camas he knew of near Courtenay<br />
had been destroyed, one last year by<br />
herbicide and another this year by be<br />
ing ploughed. He had tried to get per<br />
mission to dig up some of the camas<br />
but had been refused.<br />
Streamside Native Plants is located<br />
at 3300 Fraser Road, Courtenay. Mail<br />
ing address is R.R. #6, Site 695, C6,<br />
Courtenay, B.C. V9N 8H9. Tel./fax<br />
250-338-7509. e-mail:<br />
barport@mars.ark.com http://<br />
mars.ark.com/-barport/streamside.htm<br />
GOMPS member Jim Rainer told<br />
me sometime ago that the site of the<br />
Pacific Horticultural Centre had once<br />
included a large area of calypso<br />
bulbosa. I wonder if other people still<br />
remember wildflower areas of signifi<br />
cance prior to their being lost to devel<br />
opment. I was thinking along the lines<br />
of an oral history project, detailing<br />
what has been lost.<br />
Once that kind of information is gone<br />
from living memory, no-one will real<br />
ize what used to be prior to develop<br />
ments such as Broadmead. Such a<br />
project could highlight how important<br />
it is to protect the few remaining frag<br />
ments. If any GOMPS member is in<br />
terested in such an undertaking, please<br />
contact me at 386-4792.<br />
PUBLIC RELATIONS<br />
ONGOING<br />
GOMPS DISPLAYS: Phone 386-4792 for possible locations<br />
FUND-RAISING COMMITTEE<br />
As our main fund-raiser, GOMPS has for sale full colour posters of a <strong>Garry</strong> oak<br />
and a meadow of camas/buttercups under a bright spring sky. We also have<br />
wildflower placemats, wildflower posters and the <strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Meadow Colloquium<br />
Proceedings for sale. Call Tom Gillespie at 361 -1694.<br />
PRESERVATION/RESTORATION COMMITTEE<br />
SEED/SEEDLING EXCHANGE. Interested members contact Katie Stewart at<br />
386-4792.<br />
OPERATION CLEAN SWEEP (broom removal). Call Eric Redekop at 595-<br />
7270 for information.<br />
RESEARCH COMMITTEE<br />
PUBLIC CONSERVATION ASSISTANCE FUND GARRY OAK INVEN<br />
TORY PROJECT. Project coordinator is Paul Gareau, 592-9089,<br />
NEWSLETTER<br />
If you have any contributions — photos, art work, articles, letters of agreement or<br />
disagreement or anything else you'd like to contribute, contact Katie Stewart at<br />
386-4792 or mail to address below.<br />
GARRY OAK MEADOW PRESERVATION SOCIETY<br />
c/o A-954 QUEENS AVENUE, VICTORIA, B.C. V8T 1M6<br />
DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS<br />
OF THE SOCIETY<br />
President and Public Relations Chair Katie Stewart 386-4792<br />
e-mail camassia@bc.sympactico.ca<br />
Vice-President Pierre d'Estnite 477-2410<br />
Treasurer and Finance Chair Hal Gibbard 477-2986<br />
Secretary and Membership<br />
Development Chair SharronWaite 479-3380<br />
Director and Program Chair Paul Gareau 592-9089<br />
e-mail upgareau@islandnet.com<br />
Director Tom Gillespie 361-1694<br />
e-mail ua@620freenet.victoria.bc.ca<br />
Director Janet Simpson 381-6657<br />
NAME<br />
ADDRESS<br />
MEMBERSHIPS AND DONATIONS<br />
MEMBERSHIP DUES:<br />
□ Donation<br />
Q Individual $15 □ Family $20 Please send more information about:<br />
□ Youth and Associate $6 (no newsletter) □ Local sources for <strong>Garry</strong> oak meadow plants<br />
□ Gift memberships, send receipt to:<br />
__<br />
□ Gany <strong>Oak</strong> Inventory Project<br />
□ Operation Clean Sweep (broom removal)<br />
□ Growing, planting Gany oaks<br />
6 <strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Leaflet
PETITION FOR BC ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT<br />
To: Premier Glen Clark and Members of Cabinet<br />
BC Ministry of Environment statistics show that BC currently has 68 species of animals and 224 species of<br />
plants that are endangered or threatened. An additional 451 species are classified as vulnerable, and the<br />
numbers are increasing.<br />
It is already too late for the passenger pigeon and the Dragon Lake Whitefish - they are now extinct. Other<br />
species like the sage grouse and the yellow-billed cuckoo are no longer found in British Columbia. Our rich<br />
biological heritage is at risk.<br />
Unlike four other provinces (Ontario, Manitoba, Quebec and New Brunswick), BC has no Endangered<br />
Species Act. Yet last year, BCs Environment Minister signed the National Accordfor the Protection of<br />
Species At Risk in Canada. A key component of the National Accord is the commitment to pass<br />
complementary federal and provincial endangered species legislation. The federal government has tabled its<br />
legislation, the Canada Endangered Species Protection Act, and it is now time for BC to follow suit.<br />
Existing'provincial initiatives like the BC Wildlife Act, the Forest Practices Code and the Protected Areas<br />
Strategy do NOT adequately address the requirements of the National Accord. Separate, comprehensive<br />
BC endangered species legislation is required. We respectfully request that the BC Government honour its<br />
commitments under the National Accord and pass a BC Endangered Species Act.<br />
British Columbia's heritage deserves no less.<br />
Signed:<br />
Print Name Print Address and Postal Code Signature
PETITION IN FAVOUR OF BC ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT (cont.)<br />
Print Name<br />
Print Address and Postal Code<br />
Signature<br />
<<br />
•<br />
•
RRY OAK LEAFLET<br />
newsletter of the <strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Meadow Preservation Society June 1997, Vol .i.Ho.6<br />
IN A NUTSHELL:<br />
NOTES FROM THE PRESIDENT<br />
by Katie Stewart<br />
May and June so far have been unu<br />
sually busy for GOMPS phone calls.<br />
Some weeks, there may be only one or<br />
two calls. This week, there were 19.<br />
And then there's e-mail...<br />
Two calls, in particular, have made<br />
me think about our advocacy role. One,<br />
from an anonymous male, was left on<br />
my answering machine on Friday, June<br />
6 concerning property being rezoned<br />
at 1420 and 1440 Mt. Douglas Cross<br />
Roads, which is coming before Saanich<br />
Council on June 16.<br />
Part of his message said, "I just have<br />
a concern about the wildlife and the<br />
oaks. I just don't know what to do about<br />
it but I'm trying to report this to some<br />
one that can do something about it.<br />
This is really a concern."<br />
The second phone call was from a<br />
UVIC student preparing a paper on an<br />
advocacy group — the fourth UVIC<br />
student since last year seeking infor<br />
mation for a paper. I spent a half hour<br />
on the phone and left our brochure and<br />
Continued on page 7<br />
VICTORIA "CITY OF GARDENS" in full meadow splendour in the triangle at Beach Drive and Midland Road in Uplands.<br />
Photo by Katie Stewart<br />
, _ <strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Leaflet I
Study of acorn feeding insects on <strong>Garry</strong> oaks in the<br />
Southeastern Vancouver Island area<br />
by Doris Rohlfs<br />
The <strong>Garry</strong> oak (Quercus garryana)<br />
is the only oak native to B.C. (Farrar,<br />
1995) and is restricted primarily to the<br />
southeast tip of Vancouver Island and<br />
the southern Gulf Islands.<br />
Because of poor regeneration of the<br />
<strong>Garry</strong> oak there is interest in the in<br />
sects that infest and damage the acorns.<br />
There are two acorn boring insects,<br />
both native to North America, which<br />
reduce survival and regeneration capa<br />
bilities of <strong>Garry</strong> oak. These are the fil<br />
bert weevil and the filbertworm<br />
(Passon, 1964; AliNiazee, 1980).<br />
The value ofthe <strong>Garry</strong> oak landscape<br />
to society is now being recognized and<br />
appreciated and the Victoria City<br />
Council adopted a resolution identify<br />
ing the historical and ecological sig<br />
nificance of the <strong>Garry</strong> oak ecosystem<br />
(Erickson, 1993).<br />
<strong>Garry</strong> oak is not only a unique spe<br />
cies, but the <strong>Garry</strong> oak ecosystem has<br />
a higher concentration of rare plant<br />
species when compared to the rest of<br />
the province.<br />
<strong>Garry</strong> oak ecosystems have been<br />
identified as "hot spots" of biological<br />
diversity (Erickson. 1993). The decline<br />
of <strong>Garry</strong> oak trees would inevitably<br />
result in a decline in these other rare<br />
plant species.<br />
As human development encroaches<br />
on the <strong>Garry</strong> oak habitat the damage<br />
caused by these two insects is ampli<br />
fied; research on insect pests of <strong>Garry</strong><br />
oak in British Columbia is essential if<br />
we want to preserve and protect the<br />
biodiversity harboured by the unique<br />
<strong>Garry</strong> oak ecosystem.<br />
The filbert weevil and filbertworm<br />
females oviposit into and on the acorns<br />
respectively, while the acorns on still<br />
on the tree (Lewis, 1992). Damage to<br />
£ <strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Leaflet—<br />
coast live oak acorns has been shown<br />
to be as high as 80 per cent in South<br />
ern California, where the filbertworm<br />
may have as many as two generations<br />
per year (Keen 1958, Furniss and<br />
Carolin 1977, Lewis 1992).<br />
No study on acorn infesting insects<br />
has been conducted on <strong>Garry</strong> oak trees<br />
in British Columbia and neither the<br />
proportion of the acorns infested by<br />
these insects nor the proportion of the<br />
infested acorns that may germinate and<br />
grow into seedlings is known.<br />
Data on these are needed if the pres<br />
ence ofthis ecologically unique tree on<br />
Vancouver Island is to be maintained.<br />
By determining the biology of the<br />
insects damaging <strong>Garry</strong> oak acorns,<br />
one may discover a "weak" link in the<br />
biology that might suggest potential<br />
ways to control the pest and reduce its<br />
damage to the acorns, therefore in<br />
creasing the germination potential of<br />
the acorns.<br />
The data obtained during the study<br />
would be a practical step in protecting<br />
the unique <strong>Garry</strong> oak ecosystem and<br />
preserving biodiversity.<br />
Objectives:<br />
The overall goal of the proposal is<br />
to determine the extent of damage<br />
caused by the two acorn infesting in<br />
sects and suggest possible ways to re<br />
duce the amount of this damage.<br />
This proposal has five specific ob<br />
jectives:<br />
1) Determine the proportion ofGany<br />
oak acorns infested by the filbert wee<br />
vil and the filbertworm at 10 locations<br />
in the Greater Victoria area, and at two<br />
locations on two of the Gulf Islands.<br />
2) Determine a:) the life history of<br />
the more damaging species ofthese two<br />
pests<br />
b) identify parasitoids, if any, of this<br />
insect and<br />
c) determine the role of the<br />
parasitoids in regulating the pest<br />
populations.<br />
3) Investigate the relationship be<br />
tween acorn size and infestation rates.<br />
4) Determine the proportion of in<br />
fested acorns that can germinate into<br />
viable seedlings.<br />
5) Determine the life history of less<br />
damaging insect attacking <strong>Garry</strong> oak<br />
acorns.<br />
References:<br />
AliNiazee, M.T. 1980. Insect and<br />
mite pests of filberts. Oregon Agricul<br />
tural Experiment Station Bulletin, 643.<br />
p.2-6.<br />
Erickson, W. 1993. <strong>Garry</strong> oak eco<br />
systems. Province ofBritish Columbia,<br />
Ministry of Environment, Lands and<br />
Parks.<br />
Farrar, J.L. 1995. Fitzheniy<br />
& Whiteside Limited, Canadian For<br />
est Service, Natural Resources Canada,<br />
p.264-265.<br />
Furniss, R.L. and V.M. Carolin.<br />
1977. Western forest insects. USDA<br />
Forest Service Misc. Publ. 1339.<br />
Keen, F.P. 1958. Cone and Seed in<br />
sects of western forest trees. USDA<br />
Tech. Bull.<br />
1169. p.43,145-146.<br />
Lewis, VR. 1992. Within-tree distri<br />
bution of acorns infested by Curculio<br />
occidentis and Cydia latiferreana.<br />
Environ. Entomol. 21(5). P.99-121<br />
Passon, D.E. Controlling the filbert<br />
moth. Proc. Oreg. Wash. Nut Growers<br />
Soc. 50: 29-30<br />
All photos by Doris Rohlfs
Filbertworm (Cydia latiferreana) egg<br />
Emergence holes (left) filbert weevil<br />
— round hole; (right) filbertworm —<br />
oval hole<br />
Filbert weevil acorn damage<br />
Filbert weevil (Curculio occidentis)<br />
egg<br />
Acorn study needs funding<br />
Filbertworm acorn damage<br />
Filbert weevil larva<br />
Filbert weevil adult<br />
by Katie Stewart<br />
Doris Rohlfs has already begun her<br />
studies for her masters thesis on the<br />
filbertworm and filbert weevil acorn<br />
damage under the supervision of Dr.<br />
Imre Otvos at the Pacific Forestry Cen<br />
tre.<br />
She will be continuing this research<br />
project for the next two years and hopes<br />
to find a biological control for these<br />
destructive insects. Unfortunately, her<br />
search for on-going funding has, so far,<br />
not been successful.<br />
She applied to Forest Renewal B.C.,<br />
with a letter of support from GOMPS<br />
outlining how endangered the <strong>Garry</strong><br />
oak ecosystem is, how little regenera<br />
tion there has been and the value we<br />
perceived regarding her studies, but she<br />
was turned down, as the <strong>Garry</strong> oak is<br />
not a commercial species.<br />
GOMPS Director Paul Gareau has<br />
undertaken to try to find more fund<br />
ing, by writing letters to the various<br />
municipalities and foundations.<br />
It is too late for applying for funding<br />
this year under the Habitat Conserva<br />
tion Trust Fund, but we can apply by<br />
November 1 for next year.<br />
Doris estimates she will need<br />
$21,000 each this year and next. If any<br />
GOMPS members can think of any<br />
funding sources, please contact Paul<br />
Gareau at 592-9089.<br />
-<strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Leaflet 3
24th Annual Natural Areas Conference<br />
Exotic Pest Plant Council Conference<br />
THEME: BRIDGING NATURAL AND<br />
August 27-30, 1997<br />
Doubletree Hotel and Conference Center, Portland, Oregon<br />
Plenary Session — Wed., August 27<br />
Keynote Address<br />
The Cultural in Natural Landscapes: William Robbins. Prof. History, Oregon State University<br />
Plenary Speakers<br />
Is Wilderness a Social Construct?: Holmes Rolston, Prof. Philosophy, Colorado State University<br />
The Ecological Importance of Natural Areas: Steve Trombulak, Chair and Prof, of Biology, Dept. of Biology,<br />
Middlebury College, Vermont<br />
Natural Preserves in the Era of Virtual Reality: Deborah Jensen, Vice Pres. for Science, Nature Conservancy,<br />
Virginia<br />
Obtaining, Retaining and Maintaining Protected Areas: Biological vs. Social Strategies — What Works<br />
Best?: Gerald Wright. Prof., Dept. of Wildlife. University of Idaho<br />
Wilderness, Jaguars and Ranchers: Broad-Based Citizens' Reserve Design for the Southwest: Dave<br />
Foreman, Chair, The Wildlands Project Albuquerque, New Mexico<br />
Banquet Address, Thursday, Aug. 28<br />
Can We Save the West?: Felice Pace, Executive Director, Klamath Forest Alliance, Yreka, California<br />
Concurrent Sessions — Thursday, Aug. 28 and/or Sat., August 30<br />
Symposia<br />
General Sessions<br />
1. New and Increasing Uses of Native Species ] Q Exotjc Spedes<br />
2. Urban and Rural Use and Perceptions of ,,; Rre. Ec(^ogy pub|jc ^speca* and Use<br />
Nl<br />
Natural<br />
AAreas 12. interpreting our Natural World: Telling Stories<br />
3. Native American Perspect«ves on Natural ThrQugh Environmental ,nterpretation<br />
Area Management , 3 Educatjon and Otner Uses of Natural Areas<br />
4. Role of Natural Areas in Ecosystem Management , 4 Soda| and Ecol jca| lmplications of Grazing -<br />
5. Natural Hydrologic Regimes Domestic and Wild<br />
6. Exotics in the Landscape 15 |nvertebrates and Natural Area Management<br />
7. What is Natural: An Interdisciplinary Roundtable ,6 Non.Vascular Plants and Naturai Area<br />
8. Ecosystem Conservation Management<br />
9. International Natural Areas Conservation<br />
Conference Field Trips — Friday, Aug. 29 — 12 choices, including Willamette Valley Natural Areas:<br />
Finley National Wildlife Refuge (3 sites, including Pigeon Butte. featuring Oregon white oak [<strong>Garry</strong> oak]<br />
woodland, "which is, in the absence of fire, succeeding to a Douglas-fir forest."<br />
Costs: Full Registration received before August 6, US $ 130 (students US S100); after August 6, US $ 150<br />
(students US $120). Daily registration US $55.<br />
INFORMATION: 1997 NAA/EPPC CONFERENCE. P.O. Box 23712, Tigard, OR 97281-3712<br />
<strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Leaflet 5
Seed Source<br />
We have recently received a catalogue from Inside Pas<br />
sage: Seeds, Books and Native Plant Services.<br />
Inside Passage offers seeds by weight: 1/4 oz., 1 oz., 4 oz.<br />
and 1 lb. and by single packets for gardeners at $2.50 each.<br />
Shipping is extra. They list 149 species including Allium<br />
acuminatum, A. cernum, Brodiaea coronaria, Camassia<br />
quamash, C. leitchlinii, Collinsia parviflora, Delphinium<br />
menziesii, Dodecatheon ssp., Eriophyllum lanatum,<br />
Erythronium oregonum, Fritillaria lanceolata, Heuchera<br />
micrantha, Lomatium utriculatum, Saanicle crassicaulis and<br />
Zygadenus venenosus.<br />
To order contact 1-800-361-9657 or write to P.O. Box<br />
639, Port Townsend, WA. 98368<br />
Calendar<br />
WILDFLOWER WALK — Sundays, June 15 and<br />
29,1-3 p.m. Mount Tolmie Park, Meet at the summit<br />
viewpoint. Call Eric for more information 595-7270.<br />
Sponsor: Mount Tolmie Conservancy Association.<br />
OPEN HOUSE "THE FUTURE OF<br />
COMPOSTING IN THE CRD" — Tuesday, June<br />
24, 4-8 p.m. Pacific Forestry Centre, 506 West<br />
Burnside Road. Public input is wanted for improve<br />
ment of large scale composting in the CRD. Phone<br />
James Pratt 920-7826 for info, on the Open House.<br />
GOMPS B.O.D. MEETING — Monday, July 7,<br />
7:30 p.m. at Sharron Waite's, 935 Woodhall Drive.<br />
Guest: Bill Turner, Land Conservancy of B.C.<br />
<strong>Garry</strong> oaks fall in Courtenay<br />
by Betty Brooks<br />
Black Creek, Vancouver Island<br />
Eight <strong>Garry</strong> oak trees have been felled on school dis<br />
trict property in order to allow space for expansion for an<br />
ice arena in the Comox Valley Sports Centre. Ironically, the<br />
trees were cut the same day, May 20, as members of the<br />
<strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Meadow Preservation Society and Native Plant<br />
Society of B.C. presented a brief to the School Board of<br />
District #71. The group was assured that the site would not<br />
be developed until well after that date.<br />
sive non-native species, they wish to leave it untouched.<br />
Vanier Secondary students will also be involved in studies<br />
and stewardship.<br />
It is unfortunate that Comox Valley has lost another<br />
piece of its ever eroding natural and cultural heritage.<br />
The brief contained information recently obtained from<br />
a Ministry of Environment botanist who had examined the<br />
site at the request of local naturalists.<br />
The site was found to be a unique plant community<br />
whose exact assemblage of plants is not found elsewhere,<br />
though somewhat similar communities exist in Washington<br />
State. A good regeneration of oak was also evident. The<br />
oak community was close to minimal size for survival.<br />
Now nearly one third of the woodland has either been<br />
destroyed or is destined for clearing.<br />
The Regional District Sports Commission, which makes<br />
decisions on the project, did not undertake to have an envi<br />
ronmental study done. Instead, an arborist was consulted<br />
and a second opinion obtained from another arborist in the<br />
same company.<br />
The arborist who supervised the cutting now recom<br />
mends clearing out the underbrush and dead wood, as well<br />
as draining, to make it more "park-like" for the public. Such<br />
action would totally destroy what is left of this unique plant<br />
community.<br />
Local naturalists hope to advise and help manage the<br />
remaining woodland. Apart from clearing out several inva-<br />
1 <strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Leaflet ■—<br />
GOMPER BETTY BROOKS counts rings (est. 200 years)<br />
on felled <strong>Garry</strong> oak at Vanier Secondary School grounds<br />
Courtenay, B.C. May 25.
Update on Fama <strong>Garry</strong> oak meadow<br />
by Bob Thompson<br />
The battle to relocate the gravel ac<br />
cess road in the proposed <strong>Garry</strong> oak<br />
preserve on the Fama lands in Central<br />
Saanich, from its route through a <strong>Garry</strong><br />
oak meadow to the park periphery, has<br />
been won.<br />
r<br />
v<br />
In fact, the new location of the road<br />
appears to be even better than the po<br />
sition originally proposed by Fama at<br />
the March 1995 Public Hearing. The<br />
revised position makes use of an exist<br />
ing road for part of its length, and while<br />
the road enters the park for a short dis<br />
tance, road construction in this area<br />
will be less damaging than if it went<br />
along the park periphery.<br />
GARRY<br />
OAK<br />
V<br />
pRE9ERVATIQN\AhEA'"(PA^K)\<br />
■<br />
Thanks to GOMPS for your crucial<br />
support.<br />
MAP AND photo courtesy of Bob Thompson.<br />
6 <strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Leaflet-
In a nutshell, continued from page 1<br />
copies of our last two newsletters for<br />
her in my mailbox. Among her many<br />
questions was, did I think GOMPS had<br />
any effect with its advocacy?<br />
I have to admit, despite the efforts of<br />
all our directors, that I'm not sure. Our<br />
profile in the community is definitely<br />
there; obviously people are aware of<br />
usJudging from the phone calls we get,<br />
telling us of proposed developments or<br />
individual trees being cut down or ask<br />
ing us what to do.<br />
It's at the political level that I'm not<br />
sure. As Sharron Waite and I wrote in<br />
our letter to Environment Minister<br />
Cathy McGregor, "In 1993, your own<br />
ministry published a brochure on the<br />
<strong>Garry</strong> oak ecosystem calling it an eco<br />
system 'at risk' and describing it as<br />
being in 'extreme peril'. Four years<br />
later, nothing has changed; the ecosys<br />
tem is not protected, but even more<br />
habitat has been lost to development"<br />
On May 26,1 made a brief statement<br />
before Saanich Council (never my<br />
favorite thing to do) regarding a devel<br />
oper's request to amend restrictive cov<br />
enants on property at "Eden <strong>Oak</strong>s" on<br />
Westervelt Place, overlooking the<br />
Blenkinsop Valley. Alan Hopper,<br />
Saanich's municipal planner, had rec<br />
ommended that no amendment take<br />
place.<br />
However, until it wasn't until coun<br />
cillors realized that in fact, 1800-2000<br />
square foot houses could still be built<br />
with the covenants in place did they<br />
vote against the request. Several coun<br />
cillors obviously did not understand the<br />
intent of restrictive covenants; Sheila<br />
Orr, who vaguely mentioned the<br />
Hornby Island oaks, said she didn't see<br />
why grass couldn't be planted in the<br />
restricted area, or a patio.<br />
It is one thing to discuss conserva<br />
tion tools with like-minded people; it<br />
can be quite exciting thinking of the<br />
possibilities. It is quite another talking<br />
to a council where some councillors see<br />
land as a commodity only.<br />
So, one of our directors will check<br />
out the Mt. Douglas site, find out what<br />
provisions have been made to protect<br />
<strong>Garry</strong> oak habitat, and perhaps attend<br />
council, depending on what we find<br />
out. "Here we are again, folks. We were<br />
here three weeks ago and we'll be here<br />
again and again and again."<br />
Of course, we won't say that, but I<br />
do wonder iftalking to council or writ<br />
ing letters has any effect How does one<br />
judge? That's not to say we won't keep<br />
at it.<br />
One phone call a few weeks ago con<br />
cerned a particular <strong>Garry</strong> oak in<br />
Metchosin on public property. A prop<br />
erty owner had attached brass house<br />
numbers to the tree and that upset her<br />
neighbour who was not on speaking<br />
terms with her neighbour but called me.<br />
I said that as far as I knew,<br />
Metchosin did not have a tree protec<br />
tion bylaw and that if she wanted one<br />
in her community she and like-minded<br />
friends should lobby their council. I<br />
gave a similar message to a woman<br />
calling from Colwood several months<br />
ago.<br />
GOMPS can't lobby everywhere.<br />
Unlike higher profile environmental<br />
organizations like Western Canada<br />
Wilderness Committee or the Sierra<br />
Club, we do not have paid campaign<br />
ers.<br />
That could change, however. Not that<br />
we are about to employ anyone. On<br />
Saturday, May 31, the Provincial Capi<br />
tal Commission mid Capital Regional<br />
District Parks co-hosted a "Land Trusts<br />
and Land Stewardship Workshop" at<br />
tended by about 20 people from three<br />
levels of government and representa<br />
tives from local non-government<br />
groups: four directors from Habitat<br />
Acquisition Trust, two people from the<br />
Association to Preserve Rural<br />
Metchosin, two from Galiano Conserv<br />
ancy, one person each from the Land<br />
Conservancy of B.C., the conservation<br />
committee ofthe Victoria Natural His<br />
tory Society, Willie Macgillvray from<br />
Swan Lake/Christmas Hill Nature<br />
Sanctuary, me on behalf of GOMPS<br />
and a couple of other interested peo<br />
ple.<br />
Among the many suggestions ofhow<br />
PCC/CRD Parks could support exist<br />
ing groups was to pay for an office with<br />
a least one paid staff person. Two func<br />
tions might be to raise funds and to<br />
promote existing conservation initia<br />
tives, by talking to municipal council<br />
lors and municipal advisory commit<br />
tees and public displays in a travelling<br />
bus with all the stewardship booklet<br />
series.<br />
Even the mailperson gets in the act.<br />
One day in May, I arrived home just<br />
after my mail had been delivered. The<br />
woman wearing the uniform asked me<br />
ifI was in the <strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Meadow Pres<br />
ervation Society and then told me about<br />
her concerns regarding the mowing<br />
practices at the Cridge Centre for the<br />
Family (Cook and Hillside Streets).<br />
I also got a phone call from a man<br />
concerned about the camas being<br />
mowed before it had time to bloom. I<br />
walked over the property when I had<br />
time, but could make no sense of the<br />
mowing. Obvious areas such as the<br />
rocky outcrops, where the mower could<br />
not reach, were left to grow, but the<br />
flatter areas were partially mown.<br />
Some camas was in bloom in those ar<br />
eas and mown in others.<br />
So I wrote a nice letter to the grounds<br />
people suggesting that they consider<br />
allowing the wildflowers to complete<br />
their natural cycle and then mow and<br />
accompanied the letter with our bro<br />
chure and Ministry of Environment<br />
leaflet on the <strong>Garry</strong> oak ecosystem. No<br />
reply yet.<br />
When I walked around the Cedar<br />
GolfCourse this week, I noticed a huge<br />
pile of soil piled in two locations in<br />
the <strong>Garry</strong> oak woodlands near the vol<br />
unteer house (closest street to the pile<br />
is Ocean View Road off Cedar Hill<br />
Road.)<br />
I contacted Don Hunter, Director<br />
Continued on page 8<br />
<strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Leaflet 7
In a nutshell continued from page 7<br />
of Saanich Parks and Recreation and<br />
he was most apologetic, saying he had<br />
just been notified of the pile and that<br />
the soil had been put there by the con<br />
tractor for the new golf house.<br />
He said that it was a mistake and that<br />
he had given an order for the soil's re<br />
moval. Mil any plant life besides the<br />
oaks survive?<br />
Eric Redekop, from the Mount<br />
Tolmie Conservancy, attended the<br />
same council meeting (May 26) that I<br />
did, protesting the proposed bike race<br />
on Mount Tolmie because of its effect<br />
on sensitive habitat.<br />
Although Saanich Council allowed<br />
the race organizer far longer than five<br />
minutes to do his presentation on the<br />
race, Eric was cut off before he could<br />
finish. The race was postponed due to<br />
another consideration: inadequate lead<br />
time.<br />
GOMPS Director Janet Simpson<br />
says the Juan de Fuca Rec. Centre has<br />
been inundated with calls protesting the<br />
disc-golf course in the <strong>Garry</strong> oak<br />
meadow at the Centre.<br />
She was asked by the recreation commissioners<br />
to make a presentation at<br />
their meeting on June 12. Dr. Adolf<br />
Ceska, from the Conservation Data<br />
Centre, will also be present with slides<br />
showing the ecosystem.<br />
PUBLIC RELATIONS<br />
ONGOING<br />
GOMPS DISPLAYS: Phone 386-4792 for possible locations<br />
FUND-RAISING COMMITTEE<br />
As our main fund-raiser, GOMPS has for sale full colour posters of a <strong>Garry</strong> oak<br />
and a meadow of camas/buttercups under a bright spring sky. We also have<br />
wildflower placemats, wildflower posters and the <strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Meadow Colloquium<br />
Proceedings for sale. Call Tom Gillespie at 361-1694.<br />
PRESERVATION/RESTORATION COMMITTEE<br />
SEED/SEEDLING EXCHANGE. Interested members contact Katie Stewart at<br />
386-4792.<br />
OPERATION CLEAN SWEEP (broom removal). Call Eric Redekop at 595-<br />
7270 for information.<br />
RESEARCH COMMITTEE<br />
PUBLIC CONSERVATION ASSISTANCE FUND GARRY OAK INVEN<br />
TORY PROJECT. Project coordinator is Paul Gareau, 592-9089.<br />
NEWSLETTER<br />
If you have any contributions — photos, art work, articles, letters of agreement or<br />
disagreement or anything else you'd like to contribute, contact Katie Stewart at<br />
386-4792 or mail to address below.<br />
GARRY OAK MEADOW PRESERVATION SOCIETY<br />
c/o A-954 QUEENS AVENUE, VICTORIA, B.C. V8T 1M6<br />
DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS<br />
OF THE SOCIETY<br />
President and Public Relations Chair Katie Stewart 386-4792<br />
e-mail camassia@bc.sympactico.ca<br />
Vice-President Pierre d'Estrube 477-2410<br />
Treasurer and Finance Chair Hal Gibbard 477-2986<br />
Secretary and Membership<br />
Development Chair Sharron Waite 479-3380<br />
Director and Program Chair Paul Gareau 592-9089<br />
e-mail upgareau@islandnet.com<br />
Director Tom Gillespie 361-1694<br />
e-mail ua@620freenet.victoria.bc.ca<br />
Director '. , Janet Simpson 381-6657<br />
MEMBERSHIPS AND DONATIONS<br />
Friends of Summit (and GOMPS)<br />
members Karen Uldall-Ekman,<br />
Linda Grimm and Deirdre Gotto, got<br />
some good television coverage about<br />
the park and the <strong>Garry</strong> oak ecosystem<br />
when CHEK TV visited the park dur<br />
ing the Friends' April 27 public<br />
wildflower walk.<br />
In the next <strong>Oak</strong> Leaflet, I will bring<br />
GOMPS members up to date on issues<br />
we have been working on.<br />
NAME<br />
ADDRESS<br />
MEMBERSHIP DUES:<br />
□ Donation<br />
□ Individual $15 □ Family $20<br />
Please send more information about:<br />
□ Youth and Associate $6 (no newsletter) □ Local sources for <strong>Garry</strong> oak meadow plants<br />
□ Gift memberships, send receipt to: □ <strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Inventory Project<br />
□ Operation Clean Sweep (broom removal)<br />
□ Growing, planting <strong>Garry</strong> oaks<br />
Q <strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Leaflet
RRY OAK LEAFLET<br />
Newsletter of the <strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Meadow Preservation Society 5eptember 1997, Vol 1, Mo 8<br />
ROGERS FARM<br />
by Katie Stewart<br />
Since the last issue of the Leaflet,<br />
the GOMPS Board has been discuss<br />
ing the possibility of fund-raising to<br />
buy the portion of the oak woodlands<br />
that Saanich is not prepared to buy.<br />
To date:<br />
• Sharron, Pierre and Katie have met<br />
with Saanich municipal planner Alan<br />
Hopper.<br />
• Sharron and Katie have met with<br />
Saanich councillor David Cubberley.<br />
• A letter has been sent from the<br />
GOMPS Board to the Swan Lake/<br />
Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary<br />
Board indicating our interest, followed<br />
by two conversations with Terry<br />
Morrison, the Sanctuary's Executive<br />
Director.<br />
•Katie and Sharron have met with Vic<br />
Derman of the North Quadra Ratepay<br />
ers Association and Bill Turner from<br />
The Land Conservancy of B.C. Vic<br />
indicated that NQRA would work with<br />
us on this project and Bill said he<br />
would negotiate on our behalfthrough<br />
The Land Conservancy.<br />
•A special meeting of the Board has<br />
been arranged for September 15 with<br />
fund-raiser Jane Heffelfinger for some<br />
tips on fund-raising (she raised $12<br />
million for the Hospital Foundation).<br />
•We have been loaned a fund-raising<br />
video from the Brainerd Foundation of<br />
Seattle and a tape from the U.S.-based<br />
Land Trust Alliance.<br />
•We have already received some do<br />
nations from GOMPS members and<br />
thank them very much for their support.<br />
Preliminary approach to<br />
Rogers family<br />
We discussed the issue at length at<br />
our September 4 board meeting and<br />
asked Bill Turner to approach Gordon<br />
English, the developer for the Rogers<br />
family, to see if the family might be<br />
interested in negotiating with us and to<br />
try and set a dollar figure for the six<br />
lots (Nos. 63-66,74 and 75) shown on<br />
a revised subdivision proposal prepared<br />
by Gordon (see map on page 2).<br />
If negotiations are favourable, the<br />
board will have to decide whether to<br />
proceed. Some directors have<br />
trepidations because there will be a lot<br />
of money to raise. Up to now we have<br />
not focussed on fund-raising and there<br />
are concerns that this could take a lot<br />
of our energy away from our other ac<br />
tivities.<br />
On the other hand, pursuing and suc<br />
ceeding at this endeavour would result<br />
in something tangible, positive and of<br />
long lasting benefit to succeeding gen<br />
erations.<br />
The Board feels it is critical that we<br />
have our members' support before pro<br />
ceeding. We need help, to put it bluntly.<br />
We need someone to spearhead this<br />
project and to devote the time neces<br />
sary.<br />
So dear members, is there anyone out<br />
there who would be interested in this<br />
project? Please come to a meeting<br />
we've planned for October 16 and let<br />
us know if you'd like to be involved or<br />
phone one of the directors!<br />
GOMPS members will have the op<br />
portunity to ask questions and to indi<br />
cate their level of support at this meet<br />
ing at 7:30 p.m. at the Swan Lake Na<br />
ture House. At this time Bill Turner<br />
will also explain the covenant on Re<br />
treat Island (see article on page 4).<br />
Public hearing<br />
Christmas Hill is a prominent re<br />
gional landmark, one which many peo<br />
ple are familiar with, which is one rea<br />
son one we think fund-raising could<br />
succeed. The public sentiment at the<br />
July 7 Saanich council meeting was to<br />
Continued on page 2<br />
NOTE THESE<br />
DATES — YOUR<br />
PARTICIPATION<br />
IS URGENTLY<br />
NEEDED<br />
Rogers Farm P«»M<br />
Costco Public<br />
Hearing<br />
— Tuesday, October 7,<br />
7 p.m., Langford<br />
Fireball<br />
GOMPS Meeting —<br />
Thursday, October 16,<br />
7:30 p.m., Swan Lake<br />
Nature Sanctuary,<br />
Nature House<br />
<strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Leaflet<br />
I
Continued from page 1<br />
add as much of the oak woodlands to<br />
the sanctuary as possible.<br />
The public hearing will be held September<br />
23, 7:30 p.m. at Saanich<br />
Municipal Hall. We're hoping that<br />
some ofyou will attend and let Saanich<br />
Council know how important it is that<br />
it protect as much ofthe oak woodlands<br />
as possible.<br />
Let's push for the whole amount that<br />
was designated in the Official Commu<br />
nity Plan — 3.2 ha! If Saanich can't<br />
buy that much, then how about the<br />
amount Councillor David Cubberley<br />
suggested at the July 7 council meet- the Capital Regional Districrs Re. We're a long way from that yet, but<br />
m£ a* gional Growth Strategy is valuing our Saanich and other councils need to hear<br />
Let's remind council that one of the natural environment and protecting and that message repeatedly!<br />
five core regional values promoted in preserving its sensitive ecosystems.<br />
COSTCO<br />
by Katie Stewart<br />
We've been trying to drum up some<br />
opposition to this project and have had<br />
some newspaper publicity but there has<br />
not been a lot of interest except from a<br />
handful of people.<br />
When Costco tried to locate in the<br />
Central Saanich area there was much<br />
heated public debate and Costco lost<br />
out. This time, they've found a munici<br />
pality which is favourable to them and<br />
they have had surprisingly little public<br />
opposition.<br />
On September 2, Langford resident<br />
Nitya Harris and GOMPS director Hal<br />
Gibbard and I met on site with devel<br />
opers Jack Nelson (for Costco) and<br />
Neil Godfrey (for Cressey). The archi<br />
tect and another person involved in the<br />
project were along as well.<br />
I was disappointed to see what they'd<br />
come up with. Only a portion of the<br />
area we were concerned about was<br />
mapped out. It covers 3/4 of an acre<br />
and is mostly in the proposed school/<br />
housing zone.<br />
Mr. Godfrey said he was confident a<br />
covenant could be applied to the area.<br />
Costco will eliminate eight — yes,<br />
eight out of 724 — parking spaces to<br />
accommodate the area that falls within<br />
their property boundary. The rest ofthe<br />
<strong>Garry</strong> oak knoll we wanted to see pro<br />
tected will be parking lot under the<br />
current plan.<br />
We suggested rooftop / underground<br />
/ parkade possibilities for parking. Too<br />
expensive and too difficult, we were<br />
Ccstco Wholesale<br />
told, and not something Costco does.<br />
Apparently the same architectural firm<br />
is retained for all the Costco projects<br />
— there are 272 stores — and certain<br />
criteria have to be met, including mak<br />
ing it as easy as possible for shoppers<br />
with their shopping carts full of big<br />
boxes to get to their cars.<br />
Costco does plan, however, on plant<br />
ing <strong>Garry</strong> oaks in their landscaped area<br />
e <strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Leaflet
and Mr. Nelson told us he understood<br />
we grew <strong>Garry</strong> oaks and could perhaps<br />
help out with supplying trees!<br />
At one point in the discussion I men<br />
tioned that trying to identify and pro<br />
tect sensitive areas after a development<br />
had been already mapped out was the<br />
wrong approach. The architect got testy<br />
with me when I talked about the Re<br />
gional Growth Strategy's goals which<br />
include municipalities having to iden<br />
tify their environmentally sensitive ar<br />
eas and the necessity of doing environ<br />
mental assessments on those areas prior<br />
to development. He said, "Langford<br />
doesn't require it." And he's right.<br />
A group of concerned people met at<br />
Nitya's on Sept. 9. Many useful ideas<br />
for a campaign were discussed, includ<br />
ing contacting small Langford retail<br />
ers to see ifthey would oppose the store<br />
because of its potential effects on busi<br />
ness. Unfortunately, with the public<br />
hearing only a few weeks away, we<br />
don't have the time but will be doing<br />
some phoning.<br />
In the July 21 staff report, there is<br />
mention of a proposed 1.7 ha (4.24<br />
acre) amenity/school site, which com<br />
prises 5.1% of the entire site.<br />
Another<br />
five per cent, including the 3/4-acre<br />
<strong>Garry</strong> oak area mapped out, is sup<br />
posed to be set aside for public park<br />
land, although the applicant wants the<br />
parkland to be private.<br />
According to a September 12 con<br />
versation Nitya had with planner Rob<br />
Buchan, another Gany oak meadow is<br />
supposed to be included elsewhere in<br />
the housing development, at the rec<br />
ommendation of Dr. Adolf Ceska. I<br />
haven't been able to confirm this yet.<br />
Nonetheless, even if this is true, we<br />
are still concerned with the Costco site<br />
and the amount of habitat that will be<br />
destroyed by its construction.<br />
Public Hearing<br />
The Public Hearing is set for Tues<br />
day, October 7, at 7:00 p.m. at the<br />
Langford Fire Hall, 2775 Millstream<br />
Road. We hope that some of you will<br />
be able to attend and speak.<br />
THE DIAGRAM (top) shows the location of the 3/4-acre <strong>Garry</strong> oak meadow in<br />
the overall 84-acre Costco/housing development and at the lower left of the<br />
diagram of the Costco development (left). We would like to see the parking area<br />
to the right of the 3/4-acre area preserved at least as far as and including the<br />
sixth row of parking.<br />
Acorn alert<br />
It's time to collect acorns again. This year it looks like there will be more<br />
than last year so we hope to make up for a lost year when no collecting or plant<br />
ing was done.<br />
Look for plump acorns that appear to be free of infestation. A tiny hole or<br />
scar or clumps of brown granules indicate the presence of the filbertworm and<br />
filbert weevil. If you can, fill a sink with water. Discard the floaters, as they are<br />
infested. Dry the acorns and refrigerate them to keep them fresh and viable for<br />
planting. Take your acorns as soon as possible after collection to the Pacific<br />
Forestry Centre Greenhouse at 506 West Burnside Road. Rob Hagel is the tech<br />
nician there who is in charge of the acorn planting program.<br />
We also need your help planting later this fall. It's an easy task and will only<br />
take a couple of hours of your time at the Pacific Forestry Centre.<br />
<strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Leaflet 3
South Winchelsea Island<br />
On August 25 TLC made its $4900<br />
option payment on South Winchelsea<br />
Island, with help from the Quadra Is<br />
land Conservancy and Stewardship<br />
Society, the Nanaimo Land Trust and<br />
several TLC members.<br />
As requested in the last Leaflet,<br />
GOMPS members, TLC needs letters<br />
sent in support. Besides the addresses<br />
given last month, letters can be sent to<br />
Honourable Sheila Copps, MP,<br />
Minister of Canadian Heritage,<br />
Terrace de la Chaudiere,<br />
Jules Leger Bldg., 12th Floor,<br />
Hull, PQ, KlA 0M5<br />
and to<br />
Honourable David Anderson,<br />
MP,<br />
Minister of Fisheries and<br />
Oceans,<br />
Centennial Towers,<br />
2000 Kent St., Suite 1750,<br />
Ottawa,ON,KlA0E6.<br />
Join TLC<br />
TLC hopes to have a membership of<br />
3,000 by the year 2000. The organiza<br />
tion, which is based locally, also is<br />
looking for volunteers: librarian, office<br />
filing, volunteer coordinator, mall dis<br />
plays, computer record management<br />
and a variety of other tasks, such as<br />
field work.<br />
The current board consists of Don<br />
Benn, environmental consultant; Vic<br />
Derman, teacher; Michael Kennedy,<br />
teacher (Lillooet); Misty MacDuffee,<br />
environmental consultant; Bob Peart,<br />
civil servant; Briony Penn, UVic pro<br />
fessor, environnmental studies (Salt<br />
Spring Island); Joe Simpson, lawyer<br />
(Duncan); Bill Turner, environmental<br />
consultant and Karen Wristen, lawyer<br />
(Vancouver). Unless otherwise noted,<br />
they are from Victoria.<br />
Please consider joining this worth<br />
while organization and supporting the<br />
important work it is doing. For more<br />
information contact Bill Turner, 5793<br />
Old West Saanich Road, Victoria,<br />
B.C. V8X 3X3. Phone: (250) 361-<br />
7693, fax: (250) 744-2251.<br />
A REQUEST FROM THE<br />
PRESIDENT<br />
by Katie Stewart<br />
ing nights<br />
□ native plant rescuers<br />
As you will read in the various arti<br />
cles in this Leaflet, we need volunteers.<br />
Your membership, of course, supports<br />
the society and without all of you we<br />
could not exist. However, we can do a<br />
lot more than we're already doing if<br />
you could give some of your time as<br />
well.<br />
The Board hesitates to commit itself<br />
to new responsibilities because we are<br />
already very involved in what is al<br />
ready going on.<br />
Our work on land development is<br />
sues as they come up takes up a lot of<br />
our time and we feel it is essential that<br />
we keep advocating for habitat protec<br />
tion, even if we don't see a lot in the<br />
way of results.<br />
Our appeals through the newsletter<br />
do not usually result in anyone volun<br />
teering but we keep on asking.<br />
We need:<br />
Q a volunteer coordinator<br />
□ a phone tree coordinator<br />
□ a coordinator for<br />
the annual acorn<br />
collection/planting project — taking<br />
phone calls, explaining collection pro<br />
cedures, telling people where to take<br />
acorns, lining up volunteers for plant<br />
□ acorn collectors and planters<br />
Q inventory volunteers to count <strong>Garry</strong><br />
oaks and match them to maps and a<br />
data inputter for the inventory<br />
□ broom bashers<br />
□ people willing to speak out at pub<br />
lic hearings/council meetings<br />
Q letter writers<br />
Courses of interest<br />
□ someone to develop a Web site for<br />
our society.<br />
We will soon need:<br />
□ conservation covenant monitors<br />
□ fund-raisers<br />
Something we haven't discussed at<br />
the Board level is contacting landown<br />
ers regarding stewardship of their land.<br />
Again, volunteers would be necessary.<br />
The Field-Naturalist is offering several Natural History courses this fall,<br />
including one on gardening with native plants. Staffittember Canina Maslovat,<br />
co-owner of Woodland Native Plant Nursery, will conduct three Saturday ses<br />
sions from 10 a.m.- 4p.m. on September 13, 20 and 27. Cost for all three ses<br />
sions is $75 plus GST.<br />
For more information contact the store at 1126 Blanshard Street, Victoria,<br />
388-4174.<br />
□<br />
The UVIC Division of Continuing Studies and School of Environmental<br />
Studies are offering a Diploma and Certificate Program in Restoration of Natural<br />
Systems. Ruth McDougall, Program Coordinator asked GOMPS to mention<br />
one course in particular in the Leaflet, which has just started: Urban Restoration<br />
and Sustainable Agricultural Systems, Tuesday evenings, September 9 to De<br />
cember 2.<br />
Urban restoration topics include green space and greeways, maintenance<br />
and restoration of native species, protection and restoration of urban streams<br />
and wetlands and parks for nature versus recreatioon. Call Ruth at 472-4568.<br />
<strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Leaflet 5
Retreat Island conservation covenant<br />
by Katie Stewart<br />
Bill Turner has been our guest at the<br />
last two Board meetings. One of the<br />
things we discussed in detail with him<br />
is a conservation covenant on part of<br />
Retreat Island, located off Galiano Is<br />
land.<br />
The owners of the island, GOMPS<br />
members Jillian and Robin Ridington,<br />
plan to donate four acres of the 7-acre<br />
island as a nature preserve to the<br />
Galiano Conservancy and to place cov<br />
enants on that part.<br />
The Ridingtons would like the <strong>Garry</strong><br />
<strong>Oak</strong> Meadow Preservation Society and<br />
the Trust Fund Board of Islands Trust<br />
to be co-covantees.<br />
Bill Turner will be at the October<br />
16 GOMPS meeting at Swan Lake<br />
Nature House to fill you in on the de<br />
tails of the covenant and what it en<br />
tails for GOMPS. One of our major re<br />
sponsibilities will be monitoring the<br />
land after is has been assessed.<br />
This is an exciting venture for the<br />
society and one GOMPS members can<br />
be involved with if they'd like to be<br />
monitors. We hope some of you will<br />
volunteer — it's not arduous like<br />
broom bashing!<br />
Monitoring workshop<br />
Last autumn Bill hosted a workshop<br />
on monitoring conservation covenants<br />
at Camosun College. As a followup to<br />
that workshop, Jan Garnett, Land<br />
Securement Officer of Nature Con<br />
servancy Canada, has arranged a field<br />
session for volunteers who might be<br />
interested in monitoring conservation<br />
covenants. They will learn about field<br />
techniques and record-keeping. Any<br />
one can attend, whether or not they at<br />
tended the previous workshop.<br />
Conducting the session will be Helen<br />
Reid, a biologist with Madrone Con<br />
sulting, who is experienced with envi<br />
ronmental mapping. She is currently<br />
doing an ecosystem mapping of<br />
Clayoquot Sound.<br />
Date: Saturday, September 27<br />
Time: 11 a.m.-3 p.m.<br />
Place: Lot 14, corner of Hazlitt<br />
Creek and Old Mossy, Highlands.<br />
Jan says this property contains a "nice<br />
The Land Conservancy of B.C.<br />
by Katie Stewart<br />
In the current and last month's is<br />
sues ofthe Leaflet there are references<br />
to the Land Conservancy of British<br />
Columbia and I thought I'd give you<br />
some background on it.<br />
According to their brochure: "The<br />
Land Conservancy of British Colum<br />
bia has been formed by a number of<br />
concerned British Columbians. TLC<br />
provides B.C. residents with an oppor<br />
tunity to help protect biodiversity in<br />
British Columbia, across Canada and<br />
internationally throught the purchase<br />
of vital natural areas.<br />
"TLC is a membership organization.<br />
Members have the opportunity to take<br />
part in the activities of TLC to the<br />
degree that they wish. The member<br />
ship will democratically elect their<br />
board of directors."<br />
mixture of wetland, rocky outcrops<br />
and treed areas and includes a good<br />
variety of habitats."<br />
If you're interested in attending this<br />
session, please contact me at 386-4792<br />
and I'll forward your name to Jan.<br />
"The Mission: The Land Conserv<br />
ancy of British Columbia protects<br />
plants, animals, natural communities<br />
and landscape features that represent<br />
diversity of life on Earth, by protect<br />
ing the lands and waters they need to<br />
survive, and protects areas of scientific,<br />
historical, cultural, scenic or compat<br />
ible recreation values."<br />
As of May 1,1997 the Conservancy<br />
became a society and has applied for<br />
charitable status from Revenue<br />
Canada.<br />
To date TLC has provided financial<br />
and technical support to several organi<br />
zations for their ongoing projects and<br />
is actively involved in negotiating a<br />
number of conservation covenants<br />
throughout the province as well as ne<br />
gotiating for the purchase of South<br />
Winchelsea Island.<br />
1 <strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Leaflet
Data inputter needed<br />
The City of Victoria section of the<br />
GOMPS <strong>Garry</strong> oak inventory has been<br />
completed and the Saanich segment is<br />
well underway. The information on the<br />
maps needs to be transferred to a data<br />
base on a computer. If you think you<br />
could help out, please call inventory<br />
coordinator Paul Gareau at 592-9089.<br />
PUBLIC RELATIONS<br />
ONGOING<br />
GOMPS DISPLAYS: Phone 386-4792 for possible locations<br />
FUND-RAISING COMMITTEE<br />
As our main fund-raiser, GOMPS has for sale full colour posters of a <strong>Garry</strong> oak<br />
and a meadow of camas/buttercups under a bright spring sky. We also have<br />
wildflower placemats, wildflower posters and the <strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Meadow Colloquium<br />
Proceedings for sale. Call Tom Gillespie at 361-1694.<br />
PRESERVATION/RESTORATION COMMITTEE<br />
Publications of interest<br />
English Ivy Information Brochure:<br />
The Saanich Parks and Recreation<br />
Department published this brochure in<br />
May, 1997 with input from GOMPS<br />
directors Hal Gibbard and Pierre<br />
d'Estrube. Obtainable at Saanich Mu<br />
nicipal Hall, 770 Vernon Avenue.<br />
Jumping Gall Wasp, Forest Pest<br />
Leaflet #80 and <strong>Oak</strong> LeafPhylloxera,<br />
Forest Pest Leaflet #81, both by R. W.<br />
Duncan, Pacific Forestry Centre.<br />
These leaflets explain background,<br />
hosts, distribution, life history and hab<br />
its, descriptions, management options<br />
and are amply illustrated in full col<br />
our. Obtain from Pacific Forestry Cen<br />
tre, 506 West Bumside, Victoria, B.C.<br />
V8Z1M5. (250) 363-0600.<br />
Trees and Shrubs ofBritish Colum<br />
bia, written and illustrated by T.<br />
Christopher Brayshaw, $24.95, A<br />
Royal Britsh Columbia Museum Hand<br />
book co-published with UBC Press.<br />
CALENDAR<br />
NATIVE PLANT STUDY<br />
GROUP — Thursday, Septem<br />
ber 18,7 p.m. Room C118 Busi<br />
ness and Economics Classroom<br />
Building (a.k.a. 1996 Classroom<br />
Building), UVIC. Featured<br />
speaker: Andy McKinnon, co-edi<br />
tor Plants ofCoastal British Co<br />
lumbia.<br />
AYUM CREEK BROOM<br />
BASH — Sunday, September<br />
28,11 a.m.-4 p.m. Meet at Hwy.<br />
14 bridge on the Sooke Highway,<br />
just past Shell gas station.<br />
SEED/SEEDLING EXCHANGE. Interested members contact Katie Stewart at<br />
386-4792.<br />
OPERATION CLEAN SWEEP (broom removal). Call Eric Redekop at 595-<br />
7270 for information.<br />
RESEARCH COMMITTEE<br />
PUBLIC CONSERVATION ASSISTANCE FUND GARRY OAK INVEN<br />
TORY PROJECT. Project coordinator is Paul Gareau, 592-9089.<br />
NEWSLETTER<br />
If you have any contributions — photos, art work, articles, letters of agreement or<br />
disagreement or anything else you'd like to contribute, contact Katie Stewart at<br />
386-4792 or mail to address below.<br />
GARRY OAK MEADOW PRESERVATION SOCIETY<br />
c/o A-954 QUEENS AVENUE, VICTORIA, B.C. V8T1M6<br />
DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS<br />
OF THE SOCIETY<br />
President and Public Relations Chair Katie Stewart 386-4792<br />
e-mail camassia@bc.sympactico.ca<br />
Vice-President Pierre d'EstruM 477-2410<br />
Treasurer and Finance Chair Hal Gibbard 477-2986<br />
Secretary and Membership<br />
Development Chair Sharron Waite 479-3380<br />
Director and Program Chair : Paul Gareau 592-9089<br />
e-mail upgareau@islandnet.com<br />
Director Tom Gillespie 361-1694<br />
e-mail ua@620freenet.victoria.bc.ca<br />
Director Janet Simpson 381-6657<br />
NAME<br />
ADDRESS<br />
MEMBERSHIPS AND DONATIONS<br />
MEMBERSHIP DUES:<br />
Q Individual $15 □ Family $20<br />
□ Donation<br />
Please send more information about:<br />
□ Youth and Associate $6 (no newsletter) □ Local sources for <strong>Garry</strong> oak meadow plants<br />
□ Gift memberships, send receipt to:<br />
□ <strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Inventory Project<br />
□ Operation Clean Sweep (broom removal)<br />
□ Growing, planting Gany oaks<br />
6 <strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Leaflet
Please write today<br />
Thank Minister Petter and his government for taking a leadership role in creating a sea to<br />
sea park in the Sooke Hills by protecting the GVWD non-catchment lands.<br />
Urge Minister Petter to move quickly to designate all Crown lands in Ayum and Charters<br />
Valleys identified in the Wilderness Committee's proposal for completion of the sea-to-sea<br />
greenbelt.<br />
Urge Minister Petter to use funds available in the $60 million Pacific Marine Legacy Fund<br />
to purchase private lands in Ayum and Charters critical to completing the sea-to-sea<br />
greenbelt.<br />
Write to: The Honourable Andrew Petter, Minister of Finance,<br />
Legislative Buildings, Victoria, B.C. V8V 1X4<br />
Also write to the new Federal Fisheries Minister David Anderson<br />
Ask Minister Anderson to work with Andrew Petter, in the spirit of the new federalprovincial<br />
fisheries agreement, to protect the salmon bearing Ayum and Charters rivers.<br />
Write to:<br />
The Honourable David Anderson, Minister of Fisheries<br />
House of Commons, Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6<br />
Letters to the Times Colonist on this issue will also have impact on decision makers:<br />
Times Colonist, P.O. Box 300, Victoria, B.C. V8W 2N4<br />
Thank you for helping to protect Vancouver Island's native species and their habitat.
SOOKE HILLS ACTION ALERT<br />
HELP US COMPLETE PROTECTION FOR THE SPOKE HILLS<br />
For the past two years the Western Canada Wilderness Committee has led a campaign to<br />
protect the Sooke Hills through creation of a sea to sea greenbelt park linking existing<br />
parks from Saanich Inlet to Juan de Fuca Strait.<br />
Over 1000 letters made the difference!<br />
Overwhelming public support for this vision resulted in over 1000 letters to politicians.<br />
On January 28th, as a direct result of these letters, the provincial government took a crucial<br />
step in protecting the Sooke Hills by announcing park protection for the GVWD noncatchment<br />
lands. This protected 3 of the 5 river valleys in the Sooke Hills Greenbelt<br />
Proposal. Completing protection for the greenbelt now requires only the addition of<br />
Ayum and Charters valleys. These two watersheds link the GVWD lands with Sooke<br />
Mountain Park and extend protection all the way to Sooke Basin.<br />
Because so much of the land in these valleys is already publicly owned crown land their<br />
protection significantly depends on further action by the provincial government. The<br />
crown land parcels in Ayum and Charters Valleys must be added to the new Sooke Hills<br />
Park.<br />
Your letter is urgently needed now! (see reverse to find out how you can help)
IARRY OAK LEAFLET<br />
newsletter of the <strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Meadow Preservation Society October 1997, Vol. 1, Mo. 9<br />
COSTCO<br />
Report on the Costco Public Hearing in<br />
Langford<br />
by Janet Simpson<br />
Those of us who were at the<br />
Langford Firehall on Tuesday, Octo<br />
ber 7, were witness to quite a specta<br />
cle.<br />
The four-hour long meeting chaired<br />
by Mayor Stew Young was a perfect<br />
demonstration of how not to run a<br />
democratic assembly. Although the<br />
presence of a parking attendant at least<br />
30 minutes before the meeting indi<br />
cated that a very large crowd had been<br />
expected, the meeting was held in such<br />
a small hall that many people were pre-<br />
Continued on page 2<br />
PRE-BROOM UPLANDS PARK. This photo by C.F. Newcombe was taken in 1892 and was copied from the book Flora of<br />
the Saanich Peninsula by Adam F. Szczawinski and Antony S. Harrison, published by the Royal B.C. Provincial Musuem,<br />
in 1973. A search to locate this photo in the Provincial Archives was unsuccessful.<br />
<strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Leaflet<br />
I
COSTCO continued from page 1<br />
vented from entering this "public"<br />
meeting and were expected to wait for<br />
hours until those inside had left.<br />
A Costco director and the developer<br />
were invited to repeat their 30-minute<br />
presentation, giving them an unfair<br />
advantage in being able to rebutt what<br />
two hours of speakers had said.<br />
Hecklers were permitted to shout at<br />
speakers from the Capital Regional<br />
District who were concerned about the<br />
effect this development would have on<br />
the region, and loudly ridicule any<br />
speaker who commented on environ<br />
mental or global concerns.<br />
In such a hostile situation, it was dif<br />
ficult to be heard; however, it was my<br />
impression that over two dozen speak<br />
ers made direct reference to the neces<br />
sity of saving the <strong>Garry</strong> oak ecosystem<br />
doomed by the developer's plans to<br />
becoming a concrete parking lot.<br />
I was asked during a CFAX interview<br />
if I was afraid the issue of preserva<br />
tion of the oak habitat would get over<br />
shadowed by the pro/anti Costco de<br />
bate — well, that certainly didn't hap<br />
pen at the public hearing.<br />
During the meeting, it became in<br />
creasingly evident that the developer<br />
saw GOMPS as a serious threat. In fact,<br />
the repeat performance of the proposal<br />
was primarily directed to the points we<br />
had raised.<br />
GOMPS had a very short time in<br />
which to publicize the peril of the eco<br />
system on the Costco site.<br />
We managed two radio interviews,<br />
letters to the editor printed in the Times<br />
Colonist, Monday Magazine and<br />
Goldstream News Gazette, an editorial<br />
in Monday Magazine, front page arti<br />
cles and editorials in the Goldstream<br />
News Gazette, an item in the Times<br />
Colonist, two articles in Econews, an<br />
on-site interview with CHEK-TV, and<br />
countless discussions and phone calls<br />
with residents and business people.<br />
Yes, Langford's council voted unani<br />
mously in favour of the rezoning, but<br />
that just moved the battle into the De<br />
velopment Permit stage. We need to<br />
focus on our successes: we brought the<br />
oak ecosystem into the spotlight, we<br />
gave developers a sense of the trouble<br />
we could create, and we inspired many<br />
people to speak on behalf of our cause.<br />
IN A NUTSHELL:<br />
NOTES FROM THE PRESIDENT<br />
The Rogers Farm and Costco public<br />
hearings are over, thank goodness, but<br />
there will certainly be others coming<br />
up — Helen Road and the Hutchison<br />
property are probably the next two but<br />
you can be sure they won't be the last.<br />
The outcome of both hearings was<br />
predictable.<br />
I recently spent a week in Toronto<br />
and came back the day before the<br />
Rogers Farm public hearing. I started<br />
out my short statement by saying this:<br />
"Yesterday I arrived back in Victo<br />
ria from a week in the Toronto area<br />
visiting a very sick in-law. As any of<br />
you who have visited that part of On<br />
tario will know, you have to look hard<br />
and go many miles to search out any<br />
small locations of native habitat.<br />
"Some that exist are the result ofgen<br />
erosity of far-seeing donors, such as the<br />
399 acres of High Park in the City of<br />
Toronto, which is a mix of grassy ar<br />
eas and natural areas which have been<br />
degraded and where an extensive pro<br />
gram is underway to regenerate those<br />
natural areas.<br />
"We met people trying to bring back<br />
a paved-over creek. We saw signs on<br />
farms seeking rezoning for 500+<br />
houses. We drove past acres and acres<br />
ofnew cars parked across the road from<br />
the GM plant in Oshawa to get to a tiny<br />
patch named Thickson Woods on the<br />
shore of Lake Ontario, a so-called old<br />
growth forest which in fact was not.<br />
"While I was there, I picked up an<br />
environmental map for the regional<br />
municipality of Durham area showing<br />
its sensitive areas and outlining propos<br />
als of how to accommodate the pro<br />
jected 61 per cent increase in popula<br />
tion by 2021 and save sensitive habi<br />
tat, too.<br />
"We are facing those same chal<br />
lenges here — accommodating devel<br />
opment and saving sensitive habitat.<br />
"This week away made me realize<br />
that the lobbying that our organization<br />
does is important and that all ofus who<br />
live here, despite fiscal restraint, still<br />
have a chance to save some of our pre<br />
cious natural and endangered <strong>Garry</strong><br />
oak habitat for future generations be<br />
fore it is all developed."<br />
□<br />
The regeneration program in High<br />
Park looks interesting. The ecosystem<br />
being restored is called oak savannah<br />
and the Ontario Ministry ofNatural Re<br />
sources has identified 27 percent ofthe<br />
park's natural environment as signifi<br />
cant oak woodlands.<br />
This ecosystem occupies less than<br />
0.1 percent of the Southern Ontario<br />
landscape, according to a handout on<br />
the park's savannah.<br />
I contacted the person whose name<br />
was listed on display boards in the vari<br />
ous test areas and she sent me material<br />
on the High Park program. Two test<br />
plots totally 0.376 ha were burned by<br />
ministiy staff in Spring 1977 and more<br />
are planned.<br />
I will pass on information I receive<br />
to two local groups who are interested<br />
in doing burns in protected <strong>Garry</strong> oak<br />
habitat.<br />
Q<br />
Continued on page 3<br />
f <strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Leaflet
ROGERS FARM<br />
Report on Rogers Farm Public Hearing<br />
by Katie Stewart<br />
Nothing unpredictable occurred at<br />
the October 7 public hearing for Rogers<br />
Farm. Saanich did not offer to buy all<br />
the oak woodlands.<br />
Council gave third reading to the D3<br />
option proposed by developer Gordon<br />
English on behalf of the Rogers fam<br />
ily. This means Saanich will buy 1.42<br />
ha of the oak woodlands to add to the<br />
Christmas Hill part of the nature sanc<br />
tuary.<br />
Councillor Judy Brownoff, seconded<br />
by Carol Pickup, proposed adding con<br />
servation covenants to the six lots ad<br />
joining the nature sanctuary but no<br />
other councillor would support that.<br />
Sheila Orr said the owners could "grow<br />
an ecosystem" as did Gordon English<br />
speaking about the family's opposition<br />
to these covenants. They did agree,<br />
however, to no-build zones and tree<br />
preservation covenants.<br />
The choice of a connecting trail or<br />
greenways still has to be resolved be<br />
fore fourth reading. The family and<br />
Rogers School are not in agreement<br />
with the proposed trail along the<br />
school, citing safety concerns.<br />
Rogers School teacher Yves Parizeau<br />
led off the public speakers, speaking<br />
in support of saving the oak woodlands<br />
and mentioning the school's willing<br />
ness to be involved with our society in<br />
fund-raising. A number of children also<br />
read prepared statements saying how<br />
much they valued the open fields and<br />
woods of the farm.<br />
Representatives from the Sanctuary<br />
Board said they preferred option D2 as<br />
it saved more of the oaks.<br />
Councillor Pickup once again said a<br />
parks referendum was needed and that<br />
it had been seven years since the last<br />
one. She told me after the meeting that<br />
had there been a parks referendum we<br />
wouldn't have to buy the rest of the<br />
woodlands.<br />
□<br />
Bill Turner talked with Gordon Eng<br />
lish this week regarding GOMPS' pro<br />
posal to buy the rest of the woodlands.<br />
The family is waiting until fourth read<br />
ing before deciding.<br />
Notes continued from page 2<br />
□<br />
The Rogers Farm public hearing<br />
ended up being held on the same night<br />
at the Costco public hearing. It was<br />
much more civilized than the one in<br />
Langford. No heckling and hostility, no<br />
allowing the developer to do a second<br />
presentation putting down his opposi<br />
tion, no asking which municipality<br />
speakers lived in and no mayor ques<br />
tioning GOMPS' credibility.<br />
The public hearings being on the<br />
same night created a problem for me.<br />
Sharron was away and the other four<br />
directors had commitments elsewhere,<br />
so that meant I couldn't go with Janet<br />
to Langford.<br />
On September 28 I went with two<br />
other people to streets near the Costco<br />
development to distribute leaflets.<br />
There were no mailboxes at the houses,<br />
but we managed to get some beneath<br />
mats, etc.<br />
On the way back into Victoria we<br />
stopped at the grand opening to the<br />
Galloping Goose. I found Rick Kasper<br />
and asked him about the lack of envi<br />
ronmental assessment on Costco's site.<br />
He was quite dismissive of me, walk<br />
ing away and giving an emphasized<br />
thumbs up and telling me the majority<br />
of his constituents wanted it.<br />
I located Andrew Petter and talked<br />
to him about the government's lack of<br />
protection of the <strong>Garry</strong> oak ecosystem,<br />
in particular the Costco site. He said<br />
he wasn't up to snuff— odd, consid<br />
ering he is minister responsible for the<br />
Provincial Capital Commission which<br />
is supposed to be concerned about the<br />
green approaches to Victoria — and<br />
then said it was a municipal matter and<br />
there was nothing the government<br />
could do.<br />
I said to Him that there was lots the<br />
government could do if it chose to, such<br />
as declaring a moratorium on develop<br />
ment of environmentally sensitive<br />
lands until science-based conservation<br />
guidelines were in place.<br />
There is a precedent for this in South<br />
ern California, the Natural Commu<br />
nity Conservation Planning program.<br />
Mr. Petter grimaced and indicated that<br />
would never fly here. Why not? If the<br />
political will and public pressure were<br />
there we might finally get some sup<br />
port from this government.<br />
□<br />
At the GOMPS meeting held Octo<br />
ber 16, five members attended besides<br />
the Board.<br />
Bill Turner explained the conserva<br />
tion covenant on Retreat Island and<br />
a motion was passed to proceed with<br />
the covenant. As this is our first cov<br />
enant, we are pleased to be doing it<br />
with a more experienced partner, the<br />
Islands Trust Fund Board of Islands<br />
Trust.<br />
□<br />
Jana Kotaska, an instructor teach<br />
ing a course on Urban Restoration<br />
and Sustainable Agriculture at<br />
UVIC, asked me to speak about<br />
GOMPS at the October 14 class. Be<br />
fore I started my talk, I played the video<br />
on the <strong>Garry</strong> oak ecosystem that stu<br />
dents of Cedar Hill teacher Vic Derman<br />
had made. It was well received and<br />
served as a good introduction.<br />
<strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Leaflet 3
Third Annual City-Wide Broom Bash Schedule<br />
by coordinator Eric Redekop<br />
Sat., Oct. 11<br />
Sun., Oct. 12<br />
Mon.,Oct. 13<br />
Sat., Oct. 18<br />
Sun., Oct. 19<br />
Sat., Oct. 25<br />
Sun., Oct. 26<br />
Sun., Nov. 1<br />
Sun., Nov. 2<br />
Sat., Nov. 8<br />
Sun., Nov. 9<br />
Mon., Nov. 10<br />
Sat., Nov. 15<br />
Sun., Nov. 16<br />
Sat., Nov. 22<br />
Sun., Nov. 23<br />
Sat., Nov. 29<br />
Sun., Nov. 30<br />
9 a.m.-noon<br />
9 a.m.-3 p.m.<br />
9 a.m.-3 p.m.<br />
1-4 p.m.<br />
9 a.m.-3 p.m.<br />
1-4 p.m.<br />
9 a.m.-noon<br />
10 a.m.-noon<br />
9 a.m.-3 p.m.<br />
9a.m.-3 p.m.<br />
9 a.m.-noon<br />
9 a.m-3 p.m.<br />
9 a.m.-noon<br />
9 a.m.-3 p.m.<br />
9a.m.-3 p.m.<br />
10a.m.-1 p.m.<br />
9 a.m.-noon<br />
9:30a.m.-12:30 p.m.<br />
9 a.m.-3 p.m.<br />
1-4 p.m.<br />
9 a.m.-noon<br />
9 a.m-3 p.m.<br />
9 a.m.-noon<br />
9 a.m.-3 p.m.<br />
Horticulture of the Pacific<br />
505 Quayle Road<br />
Information: Paul Gareau, 592-9089<br />
Mount Tolmie Park<br />
Information: Eric Redekop, 585-7270<br />
Mount Tolmie Park<br />
Information: Eric Redekop, 595-7270<br />
Cattle Point<br />
Information: Margaret Lidkea, 595-8084<br />
Mount Tolmie Park<br />
Information: Eric Redelop, 595-7270<br />
Cattle Point<br />
Information: Margaret Lidkea, 595-8084<br />
Mount Douglas Park<br />
Information: Ken Rankin, 477-8007<br />
Government House<br />
Information: Fran Spencer, 370-2541<br />
Knockan Hill<br />
Information: Andria Tetlow, 479-1947<br />
Mount Tolmie Park<br />
Information: Eric Redekop, 575-7270<br />
Central Saanich (location TBA)<br />
Information: Bob Thompson, 652-4691<br />
Mount Tolmie Park<br />
Information: Eric Redekop, 595-7270<br />
Mount Douglas Park<br />
Information: Ken Rankin, 477-8007<br />
View Royal Park<br />
Information: Andria Tetlow, 479-1947<br />
Mount Tolmie Park<br />
Information: Eric Redekop, 595-7270<br />
Wildflower Lane<br />
Information: Linda Beare, 658-8993<br />
Highrock/Cairn Park<br />
Information: Ron Steele, 386-7886<br />
Thetis Lake Park<br />
Information: Elizabeth McMillan, 479-7694<br />
Mount Tolmie Park<br />
Information: Eric Redekop, 595-7270<br />
Christmas Hill<br />
Information: Swan Lake Nature Centre, 479-0211<br />
Mount Douglas Park<br />
Information: Ken Rankin, 477-8007<br />
Mount Tolmie Park<br />
Information: Eric Redekop, 595-7270<br />
Blue Heron Park (Sidney)<br />
Information: Pat Bastone, 656-6594<br />
Mount Tolmie Park<br />
Information: Eric Redekop, 595-7270<br />
1 <strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Leaflet
Lost butterflies of Vancouver Island<br />
by Syd Cannings, Zoologist<br />
Editor's note: This article is reprinted<br />
from the December 1996 British Co<br />
lumbia Conservation Data Centre<br />
Newsletter with permission from the<br />
centre.<br />
In the last year, the zoology program<br />
has delved into the invertebrate world,<br />
beginning with a survey of rare butter<br />
flies on southeastern Vancouver Island.<br />
Much of our knowledge of the distri<br />
bution of rare butterflies is de<br />
rived from specimens collected<br />
over 50 years ago.<br />
Times and habitats have<br />
changed drastically in the in<br />
terim, and we need up-to-date<br />
information to determine the<br />
real status of these species and<br />
to manage for their survival.<br />
The Vancouver Island subspecies of<br />
Ringlet (Coenonympha tullia<br />
insulana), a grass-feeding caterpillar<br />
with an historically wide range, now<br />
has confirmed colonies at only seven<br />
sites, including Trial Islands Ecologi<br />
cal Reserve, Uplands Park, and the <strong>Oak</strong><br />
Bay Island Ecological Reserve.<br />
Jon located only three sites for Moss'<br />
Elfin (Incisalia mossii), a small, darkbrown<br />
butterfly. However, this species<br />
flies early in the year (late March and<br />
cies isn't of conservation concern. Only<br />
seven thriving populations were found.<br />
This is a skipper of <strong>Garry</strong> oak mead<br />
ows. The larvae may require young<br />
<strong>Garry</strong> oak leaves to reach maturity, and<br />
the adults utilize a number of<br />
wildflowers for their nectar needs, in<br />
cluding camas, vetch, Hooker's onion,<br />
and wooly eriophyllum.<br />
Two of the undetected four — the<br />
Chalcedon Checkerspot (Euphydryas<br />
chalcedona perdiccas) and the Large<br />
Marble (Euchloe ausonides,<br />
undescribed subspecies) — have not<br />
been seen for many decades and may<br />
have vanished from the island.<br />
Since the subspecies of the Large<br />
Marble was restricted to Vancouver<br />
Island and the adjacent Gulf Islands, it<br />
may be in fact extinct.<br />
Lepidoptera specialist Jon<br />
Shepard was contracted to<br />
study 11 species of rare butterflies. De<br />
spite visiting 59 sites several times dur<br />
ing butterfly season, Jon found only<br />
seven of the species for which he was<br />
searching.<br />
Edith's Checker-spot (Euphydryas<br />
editha taylori) has vanished from Or<br />
egon and is known from only three sites<br />
in the Puget Sound region of Washing<br />
ton.<br />
John relocated a thriving population<br />
at Helliwell Park on Hornby Island and<br />
a smaller, secondary one nearby. Four<br />
occurrences of the Zerene Frilillary<br />
(Speyeria zerene bremneri) were<br />
found. The only large, healthy popula<br />
tion observed was on southern<br />
Saltspring Island, where Jon estimated<br />
a total number of 300 individuals liv<br />
ing in adjacent meadows.<br />
The Icarioides Blue (Icaricia<br />
icarioides blackmorei) was not found<br />
at any of the historic, lower elevation<br />
sites, but was found on lupines near the<br />
summit of Mount Brenton, and in two<br />
logged areas in the Mount Arrowsmith<br />
region.<br />
early April), and the survey period<br />
probably missed the main flight sea<br />
son.<br />
Propertius Dusky Wings (Erynnis<br />
propertius) were seen at 32 sites. How<br />
ever, this does not mean that this spe<br />
WILD<br />
The Dun Skipper (Euphyes vestris<br />
metacomet) and the Greenish Blue<br />
(Plebejus saepiolus insulanus) have<br />
not been seen for 10 and 30 years re<br />
spectively, although it is possible they<br />
still occur on the island. All four of<br />
these butterflies should be looked for<br />
in future years.<br />
MUSHROOM SHOW<br />
Discover the hundreds of kinds of mushrooms found in<br />
Vancouver Island's forests, gardens and fields!<br />
Sunday. October 26,1997<br />
10a.m.-4p.m.<br />
Swan Lake-Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary<br />
3673 Swan Lake Road<br />
479-0211<br />
Free — donations appreciated<br />
Members of the South Vancouver Island Mycological Society<br />
will be on hand to answer questions.<br />
Sales of books, gifts and baked goods!<br />
<strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Leaflet 5
Update on the <strong>Garry</strong><br />
oak meadow at Juan<br />
de Fuca Rec Centre<br />
by Janet Simpson<br />
According to Janelle Kent, Admin<br />
istrative Assistant at the Juan de Fuca<br />
Recreation Centre in Colwood, we can<br />
be assured that the frisbee golfers who<br />
set up an 18-post disc golf course over<br />
a <strong>Garry</strong> oak meadow there will be mov<br />
ing from the site immediately.<br />
After many letters and phone calls,<br />
a GOMPS submission to the Rec Cen<br />
tre commissioners, the support and dip<br />
lomatic efforts of Janelle and Rick<br />
Hanak (the Facilities Manager), and<br />
our willingness to work toward setting<br />
up a form of stewardship to rid the<br />
meadow of invasive species, the de<br />
signer of the course has agreed to move<br />
it to a more appropriate location. It took<br />
six months of unrelenting effort, but<br />
this small victory is something that we<br />
can use to keep our hopes up.<br />
Broom bashes up<br />
in 1997<br />
Eric Redekop, coordinator for the<br />
City-Wide Broom Bash, tallied the sta<br />
tistics of the first three years of broom<br />
bashes.<br />
In 1995 there were 12 events in eight<br />
locations over four weekends; in 1996<br />
there were 20 events in 13 locations<br />
over six weekends and this year there<br />
are 25 events in 14 locations over eight<br />
weekends.<br />
CALENDAR<br />
SIERRA CLUB FALL HAR<br />
VEST ANNUAL BANQUET<br />
— Sat, Oct. 25, 6 to 11 p.m.,<br />
Laurel Point Inn. This is a fundraising<br />
even; there will be a si<br />
lent auction, auction and door<br />
prizes. Advance tickets available<br />
until Oct. 22 at the Sierra Club<br />
office, 1525 Amelia Street, Vic<br />
toria. Cost $45.<br />
PUBLIC RELATIONS<br />
ONGOING<br />
GOMPS DISPLAYS: Phone 386-4792 for possible locations<br />
FUND-RAISING COMMITTEE<br />
As our main fund-raiser, GOMPS has for sale full colour posters of a <strong>Garry</strong> oak<br />
and a meadow of camas/buttercups under a bright spring sky. We also have<br />
wildflower placemats, wildflower posters and the <strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Meadow Colloquium<br />
Proceedings for sale. Call Tom Gillespie at 361-1694.<br />
PRESERVATION/RESTORATION COMMITTEE<br />
SEED/SEEDLING EXCHANGE. Interested members contact Katie Stewart at<br />
386-4792.<br />
OPERATION CLEAN SWEEP (broom removal). Call Eric Redekop at 595-<br />
7270 for information.<br />
RESEARCH COMMITTEE<br />
PUBLIC CONSERVATION ASSISTANCE FUND GARRY OAK INVEN<br />
TORY PROJECT. Project coordinator is Paul Gareau, 592-9089.<br />
NEWSLETTER<br />
If you have any contributions — photos, art work, articles, letters of agreement or<br />
disagreement or anything else you'd like to contribute, contact Katie Stewart at<br />
386-4792 or mail to address below.<br />
GARRY OAK MEADOW PRESERVATION SOCIETY<br />
c/o A-954 QUEENS AVENUE, VICTORIA, B.C. V8T 1M6<br />
DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS<br />
OF THE SOCIETY<br />
President and Public Relations Chair Katie Stewart 386-4792<br />
e-mail camassia@bc.sympactico.ca<br />
Vice-President Pierre d'Estrube 477-2410<br />
Treasurer and Finance Chair Hal Gibbard 477-2986<br />
Secretary and Membership<br />
Development Chair Sharron Waite 479-3380<br />
Director and Program Chair Paul Gareau 592-9089<br />
e-mail upgareau@islandnet.com<br />
Director Tom Gillespie 361-1694<br />
e-mail ua620@freenet.victoria.bc.ca<br />
Director Janet Simpson 381-6657<br />
NAME<br />
ADDRESS<br />
MEMBERSHIP DUES:<br />
MEMBERSHIPS AND DONATIONS<br />
□Donation<br />
□ Individual $15 □ Family $20 Please send more information about:<br />
□ Youth and Associate $6 (no newsletter) □ Local sources for Gany oak meadow plants<br />
□ Gift memberships, send receipt to:<br />
□ <strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Inventory Project<br />
□ Operation Clean Sweep (broom removal)<br />
□ Growing, planting Gany oaks<br />
6 <strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Leaflet
RRY OAK LEAFLET<br />
newsletter of the <strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Meadow Preservation Society November 1997, Vol. 1, Mo IO<br />
FAMA <strong>Garry</strong> oak meadow park management<br />
by Katie Stewart<br />
Central Saanich now owns the 25-<br />
acre <strong>Garry</strong> oak meadow area which<br />
formerly belonged to FAMA Holdings<br />
Ltd. Last year there was considerable<br />
public opposition to a proposed road<br />
through the middle of it necessary to<br />
connect two reservoirs. That issue was<br />
resolved successfully and the route<br />
changed to the periphery of the park..<br />
A long-term management plan is<br />
now being developed for the park and<br />
GOMPS was invited to a Environmen<br />
tal Advisory meeting on October 22 to<br />
give suggestions.<br />
GOMPS members Eric Redekop,<br />
who has done considerable restoration<br />
work on Mount Tolmie; Willie<br />
MacGillivray, site manager for the<br />
Swan Lake/Christmas Hill Nature<br />
Sanctuary; and Dr. David Boag, a Cen<br />
tral Saanich resident and biologist who<br />
first alerted us to the proposed road,<br />
also attended and gave input.<br />
Jan Garnett, a director of Habitat<br />
Acquisition Trust Fund, talked about<br />
the proposed conservation covenant for<br />
the park, which she suggested could be<br />
co-held by GOMPS.<br />
Dr. Richard Hebda gave the commit<br />
tee suggestions prior to the meeting,<br />
which he couldn't attend.<br />
We discussed doing an ecological<br />
survey, limiting public access and ac<br />
tivities, establishing/removing trails<br />
after the ecological survey is com<br />
pleted, restoration and maintenance of<br />
the natural areas within the park, spe<br />
cial consideration of areas during con<br />
struction (roads), local stewardship ini<br />
tiatives, encroachment by adjacent land<br />
owners and signage.<br />
Obviously, Central Saanich is con<br />
cerned about the protection of the eco<br />
system as the foremost priority for the<br />
preserve. Developing a good manage<br />
ment plan is essential.<br />
I really appreciated the opportunity<br />
to give some input. As Eric said on the<br />
way back from the meeting, it was "re<br />
freshing."<br />
A few days following the meeting,<br />
Bonnie Mackenzie, Central Saanich's<br />
director of Parks and Recreation,<br />
phoned me regarding putting a pack<br />
age together to give to landowners liv<br />
ing beside the park. That has been<br />
done. I also suggested the owners who<br />
have <strong>Garry</strong> oak meadows on their prop<br />
erty be approached regarding attach<br />
ing conservation covenants to their<br />
property.<br />
IN A NUTSHELL:<br />
NOTES FROM THE PRESIDENT<br />
I was told by several people attend<br />
ing the October 7 Costco public hear<br />
ing that developer Jack Nelson accused<br />
our society of wanting more and more<br />
habitat preserved.<br />
While our view was and still is, that<br />
the Millstream Road site is the wrong<br />
location for Costco because it is endan<br />
gered habitat, it was difficult for us, not<br />
being surveyors, to estimate in either<br />
acres or hectares, the size of an area<br />
that we hoped to see preserved. It is,<br />
however, definitely larger than the<br />
3/4-acre that is supposed to be<br />
preserved.<br />
GOMPS Director Janet Simpson<br />
brought along a letter from Dr. Rich<br />
ard Hebda which was read aloud. In it<br />
he recommended that a much larger<br />
amount of habitat be set aside than we<br />
had originally suggested to ensure its<br />
survival.<br />
As a follow-up to (he hearing, I wrote<br />
a letter to Mayor Stew Young, with<br />
copies to developer Jack Nelson and<br />
the GoldstreamNews Gazette, enclos<br />
ing portions of two issues of our Leaf<br />
let which indicated the area of the de<br />
velopment we hoped to see set aside. I<br />
didn't appreciate GOMPS being ma<br />
ligned.<br />
The letter was returned from the<br />
Langford planning secretary saying<br />
Council couldn't receive my letter<br />
since it was received after the public<br />
hearing. This is quite undemocratic, as<br />
part of my letter criticized how that<br />
public hearing was conducted.<br />
Reflecting on this battle, we were in<br />
Continued on page 3<br />
<strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Leaflet<br />
I
Who has a vision for the CRD?<br />
The Regional Growth Strategy is<br />
supposed to be completed prior to the<br />
next municipal election. However, sup<br />
port from our elected representatives<br />
on the various councils seems to be<br />
very low and the public is confused.<br />
In the summer the RGS released a<br />
document called "Setting the Base<br />
Case: The OCP Option."<br />
It is derived from the adopted Offi<br />
cial Community Plans of the Capital<br />
Region and is supposed to identify "is<br />
sues and impacts which will have to<br />
be addressed in the RGS". The bulky<br />
document also included a questionnaire<br />
which has only been sent in by a very<br />
small number of people.<br />
Concern about the lack of adequate<br />
public response prompted a meeting on<br />
November 4, convened by Misty<br />
Macduffee on behalf of Michael<br />
M'Gonigle, the Ecochair at the UVic<br />
Faculty of Law.<br />
Former Victoria councillor Alistair<br />
Craighead talked about the flawed<br />
transportation study done previously<br />
which tried to look at transportation<br />
alone without taking into consideration<br />
land use; Bob McMinn, Mayor of the<br />
Highlands, spoke about preserving land<br />
in exchange for density and a commu<br />
nity representative from North Saanich<br />
described the workshop in her commu<br />
nity where the OCP Option and ques<br />
tionnaire was discussed. She said that<br />
the questionnaire was badly flawed, a<br />
perception shared by many people at<br />
the meeting.<br />
Michael Carson, who sits on the Pub<br />
lic Advisory Committee, said that he<br />
and Frank Mitchell, another PAC mem<br />
ber, had to push hard to have the ques<br />
tion of no growth be an option.<br />
lack of support shown by our elected<br />
officials. As of November 4, only 30<br />
people had indicated they would be<br />
coming to the Regional Summit, A<br />
Workshop for Elected Officials, where<br />
the OCP Option is to be discussed. This<br />
is to be held on Friday, Nov. 21 and<br />
Saturday, Nov. 22 at J.S. Willis<br />
School.<br />
The public can also attend as observ<br />
ers and if you wish to do so, contact<br />
the CRD Community Relations Office<br />
at 360-3228. Seating for observers is<br />
limited to 100.<br />
Our elected representatives should<br />
be attending this forum and working<br />
on tackling some ofour regional issues<br />
such as transportation, environmental<br />
protection and housing.<br />
What you can do: Phone your local<br />
mayor and councillors and ask them if<br />
they are planning to attend this impor<br />
tant summit. If they aren't planning to,<br />
ask them why not and if they support<br />
the Regional Growth Strategy.<br />
Most of the 40+ people in attend<br />
ance, who mainly represented environ<br />
mental or community groups, have de<br />
cided to form an ad hoc group with a<br />
goal to establishing a vision for the<br />
CRD that can be presented to the RGS.<br />
People were very concerned at the<br />
ANOTHER 60 GARRY OAK seedlings have been sent to Gabriola Island.<br />
Students of teacher Imelda Hedingham will plant them in Drumbeg Park this<br />
month. Gabriola Island students stand beside trees they planted in Spring 1997.<br />
Unfortunately, with no watering over summer, only half of the 60 seedlings trees<br />
survived.<br />
£ <strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Leaflet
Go LRT!<br />
The expansion ofHighway 1 caused<br />
enormous environmental damage in<br />
some areas, including loss of a <strong>Garry</strong><br />
oak meadow at the Millstream Inter<br />
change and large quantities of native<br />
flora alongside the highway.<br />
The Millstream Connector will cause<br />
even more damage because it will de<br />
stroy a wetland area. Does it even have<br />
to be built? Is there an alternative, even<br />
at this point after all the millions have<br />
been spent?<br />
loping Goose)<br />
• doesn't use expensive elevated rail<br />
bed (Example Vancouver's Skytrain)<br />
• no gas emissions<br />
• quiet operation<br />
• less land space used<br />
• could be used with park-and-ride fa<br />
cilities<br />
• parallel bicycle lanes could be pro<br />
vided alongside<br />
According to MacDonald, there is<br />
already considerable public support for<br />
LRT; unfortunately there is not the<br />
political support. We need to let both<br />
the CRD Regional Growth Strategy<br />
and our politicians at the Legislature<br />
know that continued highway expan<br />
sion is not the answer.<br />
To join the Greater Victoria Electric<br />
Society, write to Box 8737, Victoria,<br />
B.C. V8W 3S3 or phone 383-1171 or<br />
fax 383-2212. Memberships are $20<br />
adult, $10 student/senior, $50 corpo<br />
rate. E-mail envduck@pacificcoast.net<br />
According to the Greater Victoria<br />
Electric Railway Society, there is, and<br />
that is light rapid transit.<br />
For 12 years Society President Bill<br />
MacDonald has been lobbying for LRT<br />
and despite at least one prominent NDP<br />
supporter — Moe Sihota — highway<br />
expansion is seen by the current gov<br />
ernment as the way to go to solve local<br />
transportation woes.<br />
Yet, according to the Society's bro<br />
chure, "Canada has signed a treaty, the<br />
International Global Climate Change,<br />
to limit those gas emissions which<br />
cause climate change ... the transpor<br />
tation sector emits more than SO per<br />
cent of British Columbia's carbon di<br />
oxide, a prominent global change gas."<br />
With the CRD projecting another<br />
113,000 people by the year 2021, there<br />
will most certainly be a lot more cars<br />
choking the roads and highways unless<br />
there is a viable alternative.<br />
In the CRD RGS document<br />
analyzing the OCP Option, called<br />
"Challenges to Implementing the OCP<br />
Option", the writer notes under Trans<br />
portation Infrastructure: "The planned<br />
roadway improvement program would<br />
not provide sufficient capacity to ac<br />
commodate vehicular traffic in the<br />
Western Communities and the links<br />
between the Western Communities and<br />
Victoria."<br />
Advantages of LRT in the<br />
Capital Region<br />
• can use existing rights-of-way (Gal<br />
Tree preservation? Not in Victoria<br />
Once again, Victoria's lack of a tree Three years ago GOMPS member<br />
preservation bylaw has resulted in the<br />
loss of significant neighbourhood trees,<br />
this time two sequoias at Superior and<br />
Government streets.<br />
Although neighbours had been as Hie committee had asked for a com<br />
sured that the trees would remain when mitment from council that they wanted<br />
a 15-unit public housing project was a tree preservation bylaw, after a by<br />
built on the property, an arborist deter law was passed protecting trees adja<br />
mined that the roots would be damaged cent to the Selkirk Narrows in 1994.<br />
from excavation. No attempt was made<br />
to modify the housing plans; the<br />
chainsaw route was easier.<br />
City Councillor Pamela Madoffthen<br />
called for a task force to come up with<br />
a tree preservation bylaw. Not again!<br />
Where's the draft preservation bylaw<br />
that was supposed to be reviewed by<br />
the city solicitor?<br />
Notes continued from page 1<br />
a no-win situation. It was obvious from<br />
Langford Council's position that<br />
Costco was a sure thing in this loca<br />
tion, therefore we tried to get some<br />
habitat set aside.<br />
Better some than none, we thought.<br />
Nitya Harris, a Langford resident who<br />
set up the meetings with Jack Nelson,<br />
tried to set up a third meeting with him<br />
prior to the public hearing but he<br />
wasn't interested. He had told us dur<br />
ing our second site meeting that he<br />
wanted our support at the public hear<br />
ing, which we couldn't give.<br />
Tom Loring sat on the environment<br />
committee (since disbanded) which<br />
worked on the draft bylaw now<br />
mothballed somewhere at City Hall.<br />
Tom says councillors are extremely<br />
conservative about attempts to control<br />
what people do with private property.<br />
With the current outcry about the<br />
sequoias now is the time to pressure<br />
council to enact a bylaw. Write to<br />
Mayor Bob Cross and council at #1<br />
Centennial Square, Victoria, B.C.<br />
V8W 1P6.<br />
As a result ofme speaking to the Ur<br />
ban Restoration and Sustainable Agri<br />
culture class at UVic last month and<br />
an article written for the limes Colo<br />
nist's Environews in October, five stu<br />
dents have called for information.<br />
One student wants to do a term<br />
project on the survival rate of <strong>Garry</strong><br />
oaks which have been planted since<br />
"Project Acorn" began in Fall 1992.<br />
That's information we'd like to have<br />
as we have not done any follow-up of<br />
the plantings, some ofwhich have been<br />
in the ground since 1993.<br />
<strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Leaflet 3
More "Broom Bash"<br />
activities<br />
Not included in last month's Leaflet<br />
were six ivy removal work parties in<br />
John Dean Park. Three have already<br />
occurred on October 25, November 1<br />
and November 8. The other three are<br />
scheduled for November 15, 22 and<br />
29 from 9 a.m. to noon. For more in<br />
formation contact Edo Nyland at 656-<br />
9276.<br />
On November 16, Friends of Sum<br />
mit Park will be holding a Broom Bash<br />
in the park from noon-3 p.m. Come to<br />
the swings if you're interested in par<br />
ticipating. As incentive, there will be<br />
two raffles — one for adults and one<br />
for kids — which will be drawn at 3<br />
p.m. For more information contact<br />
Dierdre Gotto at 385-6359.<br />
Acorn planting<br />
Rob Hagel, technician at the Pacific<br />
Forestry Centre, says most of the<br />
acorns collected this year have already<br />
been sown.A high student on a work<br />
placement program has been helping<br />
him. Rob doesn't think that volunteers<br />
will be needed to sow the remainder.<br />
Advisory Committee<br />
members needed<br />
The Capital Regional District is look<br />
ing for people to sit on the new Re<br />
gional Water Supply, Protection and<br />
Conservation Advisory Committee.<br />
GOMPS was sent a letter inviting us to<br />
provide the name ofan individual want<br />
ing to be on the committee.<br />
PUBLIC RELATIONS<br />
ONGOING<br />
GOMPS DISPLAYS: Phone 386-4792 for possible locations<br />
FUND-RAISING COMMITTEE<br />
As our main fund-raiser, GOMPS has for sale full colour posters of a <strong>Garry</strong> oak<br />
and a meadow of camas/buttercups under a bright spring sky. We also have<br />
wildflower placemats, wildflower posters and the <strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Meadow Colloquium<br />
Proceedings for sale. Call Tom Gillespie at 361-1694.<br />
PRESERVATION/RESTORATION COMMITTEE<br />
SEED/SEEDLING EXCHANGE. Interested members contact Katie Stewart at<br />
386-4792.<br />
OPERATION CLEAN SWEEP (broom removal). Call Eric Redekop at 595-<br />
7270 for information.<br />
RESEARCH COMMITTEE<br />
PUBLIC CONSERVATION ASSISTANCE FUND GARRY OAK INVEN<br />
TORY PROJECT. Project coordinator is Paul Gareau, 592-9089.<br />
NEWSLETTER<br />
If you have any contributions — photos, art work, articles, letters of agreement or<br />
disagreement or anything else you'd like to contribute, contact Katie Stewart at<br />
386-4792 or mail to address below.<br />
GARRY OAK MEADOW PRESERVATION SOCIETY<br />
c/o A-954 QUEENS AVENUE, VICTORIA, B.C. V8T 1M6<br />
DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS<br />
OF THE SOCIETY<br />
President and Public Relations Chair Katie Stewart 386-4792<br />
e-mail camassia@bc.sympactico.ca<br />
Vice-President Pierre d'EstruW 477-2410<br />
Treasurer and Finance Chair Hal Gibbard 477-2986<br />
Secretary and Membership<br />
Development Chair Sharron Waite 479-3380<br />
Director and Program Chair Paul Gareau 592-9089<br />
e-mail upgareau@islandnet.com<br />
Director Tom Gillespie 361-1694<br />
e-mail ua620@freenet.victoria.bc.ca<br />
Director Janet Simpson 381-6657<br />
MEMBERSHIPS AND DONATIONS<br />
If you are interested, contact the<br />
Capital Regional District Water Depart<br />
ment, 479 Island Highway, B.C. V9B<br />
1H7 or phone 474-9600, fax 474-4012<br />
by November 14.<br />
NAME<br />
ADDRESS<br />
MEMBERSHIP DUES:<br />
□ Donation<br />
Sidney bylaw<br />
We've been told that Sidney has re<br />
cently enacted a tree preservation by<br />
law, but it doesn't include <strong>Garry</strong> oaks.<br />
Apparently the director of parks rec<br />
ommended the inclusion of <strong>Garry</strong> oaks<br />
but the administrator didn't. We're try<br />
ing to find out more about this.<br />
□ Individual $15 □ Family $20<br />
Please send more information about:<br />
□ Youth and Associate $6 (no newsletter) □ Local sources for <strong>Garry</strong> oak meadow plants<br />
□ Gift memberships, send receipt to: □ Gany <strong>Oak</strong> Inventory Project<br />
□ Operation Clean Sweep (broom removal)<br />
□ Growing, planting <strong>Garry</strong> oaks<br />
1 <strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Leaflet
IARRY OAK LEAFLET<br />
newsletter of the <strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Meadow Preservation Society December 1997, VoM, Mo II<br />
Status of Sidney and Victoria tree preservation bylaws<br />
by Katie Stewart<br />
As mentioned in the November Leaf<br />
let, Sidney recently passed Sidney Tree<br />
Preservation Bylaw No. 1304. Only<br />
two species are protected: Douglas-fir<br />
(Pseudotsuga menziesii) and arbutus<br />
(Arbutus menziesii), which have a di<br />
ameter of 30 (12 in.) cm or more at 1.4<br />
m (4.5 ft.) height above ground level<br />
at the base of a tree.<br />
Also included are specifically listed<br />
significant, heritage and replacement<br />
trees, and trees "shown as to be re<br />
tained" or planted as part of a landscape<br />
plan, which form part of development<br />
permits.<br />
The bylaw doesn't specify what the<br />
penalties are, only that liability is ac<br />
cording to the "penalties set out in the<br />
Offence Act (of British Columbia)."<br />
Victoria<br />
According to a Times Colonist arti<br />
cle dated November 15, 1997, Victo<br />
ria councillors agreed at a committee<br />
of the whole meeting to pass a tree pro<br />
tection bylaw.<br />
Protected species are <strong>Garry</strong> oak and<br />
arbutus having a diameter of at least<br />
20 cm, and Pacific dogwood (Cornus<br />
nuttallii)f with single and multi-stems<br />
having a diameter each of at least 20<br />
cm.<br />
or subdivision application."<br />
We can't support this bylaw as it<br />
stands now. The whole city needs to<br />
be included in a comprehensive tree<br />
protection bylaw, not just specified ar<br />
eas.<br />
GOMPS member Andrew Laks sits<br />
on the Parks Committee and members<br />
were asked to comment on the bylaw<br />
by council at the December 3 commit<br />
tee meeting.<br />
Andrew says the committee will ad<br />
vise council that the bylaw is flawed<br />
and that more information is required.<br />
For example, there is nothing to stop a<br />
developer from buying a lot, razing the<br />
trees and then applying for a develop<br />
ment permit, thereby skirting the by<br />
law.<br />
The Parks Committee supported two<br />
positive suggestions that Andrew made<br />
and will forward these to council as<br />
well. One is to collect one per cent from<br />
the building, development and rezoning<br />
permit fees the city collects and to<br />
put that money in a fund to be used<br />
specifically for maintaining trees.<br />
Andrew's second suggestion is to<br />
maintain a Heritage Tree Registry and<br />
May the Spirit of Christmas<br />
bewithyouall<br />
Continued on page 4<br />
The Board of Directors would like to thank everyone who has supported<br />
the efforts and objectives of the Carry <strong>Oak</strong> Meadow Preservation Society<br />
- present and past members, volunteers in the community who have<br />
particpated in "Broom Bashes", advocates who have spoken out at coun<br />
cil meetings and/or written letters, generous financial contributors to<br />
GOMPS and our Home Hawk Campaign, and municipal staff members<br />
who have recognized the importance of saving what's left of our Carry<br />
oak meadows. We are blessed indeed to live with such beauty and grate<br />
ful that some of this habitat has been protected.<br />
Hal, Janet, Katie, Paul, Pierre, Sharron and Tom<br />
The bylaw is limited only to: a) "any<br />
lot within a development permit area<br />
or a heritage conservation area desig<br />
nated in the Official Community Plan<br />
Bylaw, subject to a development per<br />
mit or heritage alteration permit," and<br />
b) "any lot that is subject to a rezoning,<br />
heritage revitalization agreement<br />
<strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Leaflet<br />
I
A letter from Environment Minister Cathy McGregor<br />
This was received in the second week<br />
ofNovember.<br />
— K.S.<br />
Thank you for your letters of May<br />
22 and August 15. 1997, regarding<br />
management of the <strong>Garry</strong> oak ecosys<br />
tems. Please accept my apology for the<br />
delay in responding to you. I, too, ap<br />
preciated the opportunity to speak with<br />
you about these matters earlier this<br />
summer [a 5-minute "briefing* at the<br />
CPAWS conference in April].<br />
As you are aware, the remaining sites<br />
of these ecosystems are invariably on<br />
private lands which are subject to lo<br />
cal governments" land use planning and<br />
development control programs.<br />
In recent years, this government has<br />
provided local governments with in<br />
creasingly effective tools to heighten<br />
environmental stewardship levels.<br />
With regard to vegetation, for in<br />
stance, tree cutting controls were re<br />
stored to municipalities in 1992. and<br />
landscape development controls fol<br />
lowed shortly afterwards.<br />
Major changes have also been made<br />
to the Municipal Act in Bill 26, the<br />
Local Government States Amendment<br />
Act, 1997.<br />
For example, under Bill 26, section<br />
909 enables local governments to set<br />
suitable landscaping standards for en<br />
vironmental protection purposes: "A<br />
local government may, by bylaw, re<br />
quire, set standards for and regulate the<br />
provision of screening or landscaping<br />
for one or more of the following rea<br />
sons: ... (b) preserving, protecting, re<br />
storing and enhancing the natural en<br />
vironment." It is anticipated that this<br />
Bill will be proclaimed this fall.<br />
Environmental stewardship in devel<br />
oped and developing areas can often<br />
be a complex challenge, however, for<br />
local elected officials and their staff<br />
who may be called upon to meet a<br />
range of competing interests and pri<br />
orities with limited funding. Similarly,<br />
the interests and concerns of individual<br />
land owners suddenly faced with new<br />
regulations or additional financial re<br />
quirements must also be addressed.<br />
Effective community and landownerbased<br />
environmental stewardship<br />
therefore requires careful planning and<br />
development at the local level in part<br />
nership with both the needs of the ac<br />
tual property owners of sensitive eco<br />
systems, and importantly, general com<br />
munity support.<br />
As you may be aware, the govern<br />
ment has completed its Goal 2 acqui<br />
sition plans for Vancouver Island,<br />
though some opportunities may exist<br />
in the Gulf Islands through the efforts<br />
of the Pacific Marine Heritage Legacy.<br />
More and more, attention is being<br />
given to community and private land<br />
stewardship programs as a means of<br />
protecting these unique ecosystems.<br />
Ministry staff are now working in<br />
cooperation with the Canadian Wild<br />
life Service and the Growth Strategies<br />
Office of the Ministry of Municipal<br />
Affairs and Housing on a conservation<br />
strategy to help protect sensitive eco<br />
systems, including <strong>Garry</strong> oak commu<br />
IN A NUTSHELL:<br />
nities, on the east coast of Vancouver<br />
Island and the Gulf Islands. Technical<br />
guides are being prepared for the pro<br />
tection and management of these ar<br />
eas through local governments. It is<br />
expected that the inventory for these<br />
ecosystem communities will be avail<br />
able this fall, and the guides prepared<br />
over the next year.<br />
Clearly, legislation, information and<br />
technical guidance are all key compo<br />
nents to achieving effective environ<br />
mental stewardship of our precious<br />
land resource.<br />
Ultimately, however, the most suc<br />
cessful conclusions to our endeavours<br />
will be as a result of the awareness,<br />
conviction and involvement of indi<br />
viduals like you. In this regard, I very<br />
much hope that you and your members<br />
will continue to stay involved in these<br />
important community initiatives. I very<br />
much appreciated receiving your com<br />
ments on these issues.<br />
Yours sincerely,<br />
Cathy McGregor<br />
Minister<br />
NOTES FROM THE PRESIDENT<br />
It will be nice when Central<br />
Saanich's 25-acre <strong>Garry</strong> oak<br />
meadow park, recently acquired from<br />
FAMA, gets a name. For now, I'll con<br />
tinue calling it the FAMA <strong>Garry</strong> oak<br />
meadow. At the December 1 council<br />
meeting, the clerk-administrator rec<br />
ommended that council allocate<br />
$ 10,000 to hire a consultant to prepare<br />
a park management plan, "with the<br />
project to be undertaken in consulta<br />
tion with a stakeholder advisory group<br />
as recommended by the Advisory Plan<br />
ning Commission. "That money may be<br />
used in other ways, such as the inven<br />
tory. Council recommended that a ten<br />
der be called or else community groups<br />
could be involved in the process.<br />
Watch for the Hutchison<br />
development proposal to<br />
come before Saanich Committee of<br />
the Whole soon, probably on Decem<br />
ber 15. This 12.7 acre property, the<br />
estate of the late Bruce Hutchison, is<br />
bounded by Lily Avenue, Rogers Av<br />
enue, Martin Road and Quadra Street.<br />
There are two areas of <strong>Garry</strong> oaks we<br />
hope to see preserved: one contains a<br />
native shrub and herb understorey and<br />
the other contains oaks on rocky out<br />
crops overrun with blackberry. There<br />
are also some specimen <strong>Garry</strong> oaks.<br />
Family spokesman Ross Meek came<br />
to our last Board meeting on Novem<br />
ber 27 and showed us the family's lat<br />
est plans.<br />
? <strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Leaflet
How to Remove Broom: The Short Answer<br />
Part 6: Information and Media Management<br />
By Eric Redekop<br />
Once permission is obtained and a<br />
work plan developed, three final prepa<br />
rations precede the first work event<br />
About a month earlier, write to any<br />
media outlet in the area which provides<br />
free public service announcements.<br />
The request should include the exact<br />
wording of the proposed announce<br />
ment, as it would typically appear if<br />
published; respect space limits. Always<br />
include a telephone number people can<br />
call for more information, and try to<br />
identify any project sponsors or part<br />
ners.<br />
Remember that most media reserve<br />
the right to limit their selection of free<br />
announcements, so contact with a wide<br />
variety of outlets will directly influence<br />
the level of public exposure and sup<br />
port for the project.<br />
If contacted by reporters to comment<br />
regarding broom removal, always re<br />
frain from giving technical instruction<br />
without reference to a specific context.<br />
Refer instead to the general or strate<br />
gic objectives ofa specific project (e.g.<br />
to clear the east side by January).<br />
The major problem with talking to<br />
reporters is that not everything spoken<br />
gets reported, and much that is reported<br />
is inaccurate because writers and edi<br />
tors leave out material they feel is ir<br />
relevant or unimportant.<br />
This is partly why a removal event<br />
should be called a "broom bash" rather<br />
than a "broom pull" or "broom cut";<br />
reference to technique only perpetuates<br />
the public misconception that one tech<br />
nique is appropriate for any occasion<br />
and all situations.<br />
Indeed, "How to Remove Broom"<br />
has become a series of six articles (so<br />
far) to help volunteers and project lead<br />
ers deal more effectively with this is<br />
sue. Finally, if a photographer or a<br />
video crew shows up at an event, they<br />
should be closely escorted at all times.<br />
Never allow a journalist to record vol<br />
unteers carrying out work improperly<br />
(e.g. cutting in winter, pulling in sum<br />
mer, dragging debris on ground).<br />
Notices to neighbours<br />
For projects in public parks, some<br />
attempt should be made to notify the<br />
neighbours. Generally speaking, there<br />
are two kinds of notices. The first no<br />
tice should be delivered to every resi<br />
dential address within a reasonable dis<br />
tance of the park, whenever a new<br />
project is initiated or when a new sea<br />
son of activity is about to commence<br />
(e.g. late June, late September).<br />
This notice should describe the na<br />
ture, location and timing ofproject ac<br />
tivities, and provide contact names and<br />
numbers for project leaders and mu<br />
nicipal staff nvolved in project plan<br />
ning. A similar notice should also be<br />
delivered to every residential address<br />
within direct view of any removal ac<br />
tivities (including debris staging),<br />
within the preceding month.<br />
As debris accumulates, keep munici<br />
pal staff advised of staging locations<br />
and the nature of debris left for dis<br />
posal. Broom debris should be stacked<br />
with stem butts facing one way, while<br />
blackberry and ivy debris mst be piled<br />
separately for special treatment.<br />
Blackberry thorns make compost<br />
handling hazardous, so debris must be<br />
burned or dumped in a landfill; Eng<br />
lish ivy must be dead, dead, dead be<br />
fore chipping and addition to the com<br />
post stream, so debris may not be re<br />
moved from the site for several weeks<br />
or even months.<br />
In the meantime, the piles may ap<br />
pear untidy, so previous notice to mu<br />
nicipal staff allows criticism and com<br />
plaints from affected neighbours or<br />
oflier park users to be redirected away<br />
from the project itself.<br />
Recruiting volunteers<br />
For most project leaders, the last step<br />
in preparation, recruiting volunteers,<br />
will become an ongoing activity almost<br />
as arduous as actually bashing broom.<br />
Obvious sources ofvolunteers include<br />
park neighbours, schools and commu<br />
nity service groups. Retired Canadians<br />
not only have time to write letters of<br />
support for removal projects, but many<br />
are still physically active and enjoy<br />
working outdoors.<br />
Sometimes, criminals sentenced to<br />
community service are referred to com<br />
munity groups or projects; these vol<br />
unteers can be used for work in remote<br />
areas and may actually prefer to work<br />
independently and without direct su<br />
pervision. Contact local environmen<br />
tal advocacy groups and keep every<br />
one, especially the media, informed<br />
regarding project progress.<br />
Keep a current list of volunteer ad<br />
dresses and phone numbers, and try to<br />
get through calling everyone as often<br />
as possible. If possible, arrange a "tel<br />
ephone tree" or conscript a volunteer<br />
or two to make a phone blitz for spe<br />
cific events. Try to develop routine<br />
channels for providing information to<br />
the public and volunteers about your<br />
project and prepare your media notices<br />
as far in advance as possible.<br />
Media which may provide free pub<br />
lic service announcements include<br />
Monday Magazine,<br />
Victoria Colonist,<br />
Victoria Naturalist, Field Naturalist,<br />
Globe & Trail, Shaw Community<br />
Messageboard, and the News Group<br />
papers.<br />
Of course, the GOMPS Leaflet<br />
should be at the top of this list.<br />
Finally, remember that GOMPS an<br />
nually sponsors the City-Wide Broom<br />
Bash, from the Thanksgiving holiday<br />
weekend through the end of Novem<br />
ber. Over this period, volunteer work<br />
events all around the region are coor<br />
dinated and widely promoted to maxi<br />
mize volunteer contributions and to<br />
improve public awareness ofthe prob-<br />
Continued on page 4<br />
<strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Leaflet 3
Tree preservation bylaws from page 1<br />
monies from the above-mentioned<br />
funds could be used to maintain the<br />
trees in the registry.<br />
For example, last year we received a<br />
call from a woman living in Rockland<br />
who wanted to take the ivy off a large<br />
<strong>Garry</strong> oak on her property but was de<br />
terred by the $700 cost. Ifher tree were<br />
registered, she might get assistance<br />
with the cost.<br />
Broom from page 3<br />
lems associated with exotic plants in<br />
native habitats.<br />
Whether small or large, participating<br />
groups feel a sense of comradeship<br />
with others struggling elsewhere in the<br />
region, and a greater sense of recogni<br />
tion for what is often thankless and al<br />
ways challenging work.<br />
Since 1995, this program has grown<br />
from 12 events in 8 locations over four<br />
weekends to more than 30 events in 17<br />
locations over eight weeks in 1997;<br />
even more growth is expected for 1998.<br />
Virtually ignored by local media for the<br />
first two years, in 1997 the program<br />
received local exposure in newspapers<br />
and on television, and national expo<br />
sure on CBC radio.<br />
By now it should be obvious that<br />
there are many activities associated<br />
with invasive plant control beyond ac<br />
tually bashing and hauling, which pro<br />
vide opportunities for everyone to con<br />
tribute to the effort. Among those iden<br />
tified above are delivery of notices to<br />
neighbours, media and parks staff, and<br />
regular communication with volun<br />
teers.<br />
In "How to Remove Broom: The<br />
Short Answer, Part 7: Everyone can<br />
help!" I will describe some of the other<br />
ways.<br />
PUBLIC RELATIONS<br />
ONGOING<br />
GOMPS DISPLAYS: Phone 386-4792 for possible locations<br />
FUND-RAISING COMMITTEE<br />
As our main fund-raiser, GOMPS has for sale full colour posters of a <strong>Garry</strong> oak<br />
and a meadow of camas/buttercups under a bright spring sky. We also have<br />
wildflower placemats, wildflower posters and the <strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Meadow Colloquium<br />
Proceedings for sale. Call Tom Gillespie at 361-1694.<br />
PRESERVATION/RESTORATION COMMITTEE<br />
SEED/SEEDLING EXCHANGE. Interested members contact Katie Stewart at<br />
386-4792.<br />
OPERATION CLEAN SWEEP (broom removal). Call Eric Redekop at 595-<br />
7270 for information.<br />
RESEARCH COMMITTEE<br />
PUBLIC CONSERVATION ASSISTANCE FUND GARRY OAK INVEN<br />
TORY PROJECT. Project coordinator is Paul Gareau, 592-9089.<br />
NEWSLETTER<br />
If you have any contributions — photos, art work, articles, letters of agreement or<br />
disagreement or anything else you'd like to contribute, contact Katie Stewart at<br />
386-4792 or mail to address below.<br />
GARRY OAK MEADOW PRESERVATION SOCIETY<br />
c/o A-954 QUEENS AVENUE, VICTORIA, B.C. V8T 1M6<br />
DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS<br />
OF THE SOCIETY<br />
President and Public Relations Chair Katie Stewart 386-4792<br />
e-mail camassia@bc.sympactico.ca<br />
Vice-President Pierre d'Estrube 477-2410<br />
Treasurer and Finance Chair Hal Gibbard 477-2986<br />
Secretary and Membership<br />
Development Chair Sharron Waite 479-3380<br />
Director and Program Chair Paul Gareau 592-9089<br />
e-mail upgareau@islandnet.com<br />
Director Tom Gillespie 361-1694<br />
e-mail ua620@freenet.victoria.bc.ca<br />
Director Janet Simpson 381-6657<br />
NAME<br />
ADDRESS<br />
MEMBERSHIPS AND DONATIONS<br />
MEMBERSHIP DUES:<br />
□Donation<br />
□ Individual $ 15 Q Family $20 Please send more information about:<br />
□ Youth and Associate $6 (no newsletter) □ Local sources for Gany oak meadow plants<br />
□ Gift memberships, send receipt to:<br />
□ Gany <strong>Oak</strong> Inventory Project<br />
The next GOMPS Board of Direc<br />
tors meeting will be on January 15<br />
at 7:30 p.m. at Janet Simpson's.<br />
□ Operation Clean Sweep (broom removal)<br />
□ Growing, planting <strong>Garry</strong> oaks<br />
1 <strong>Garry</strong> <strong>Oak</strong> Leaflet
A CHRISTMAS IDEA FROM<br />
THE LAND CONSERVANCY!<br />
GIVE SOMETHING LASTING!<br />
ADOPT AN ACRE<br />
ON A CONSERVANCY PROJECT IN<br />
BRITISH COLUMBIA.<br />
When you adopt an acre in a TLC project you will be sure that your payment will go directly to the purchase,<br />
protection or ongoing stewardship of that particular project. Once a property is purchased or protected by a<br />
conservation covenant your donation is used to help pay the annual costs associated with that project, for example<br />
property taxes if applicable, monitoring (inspection and recording costs), maintenance of signs or fences etc.<br />
In some cases it will be possible for you to actually visit the acre, in other cases where it is private property with a<br />
covenant you will not be able to access it unless you are working as a volunteer monitor for The Conservancy.<br />
A perfect gift for the that special person who cares as deeply about our mission of protecting biodiversity on earth as<br />
you do, and you will have the satisfaction of knowing that you are helping us in our work.<br />
Gift recipients will receive a certificate containing the specific description and location of the project and their acre.<br />
You will receive a receipt for income tax purposes. (88902 8338 RR0001)<br />
YES, I THINK THAT IS AGREAT IDEA.<br />
PERSON AS A CHRISTMAS GIFT.<br />
I WISH TO ADOPT AN ACRE IN THE NAME OF THE FOLLOWING<br />
NAME:<br />
ADDRESS:<br />
PHONE NO:<br />
I WISH TO ADOPT ACRES @ $25.00 PER ACRE FOR THIS PERSON<br />
WOULD YOU LKE US TO SEND THE CERTIFICATE TO YOU AND LET YOU FORWARD IT, OR WOULD<br />
YOU PREFER IF WE SENT IT DIRECTLY TO THE RECIPIENT? SENDITTOME _ SEND IT DIRECTLY<br />
IF YOU WANT US TO SEND IT DIRECTLY, HOW DO YOU WANT US TO SHOW YOUR NAME:<br />
ON THE GIFT CARD.<br />
YOU MAY LIST ADDITIONAL GIFTS ON THE BACK OF THIS SHEET.<br />
ADMINISTRATIVE QUESTIONS:<br />
YOUR NAME:__<br />
YOUR ADDRESS.<br />
CHEQUEFORS.<br />
PLEASE CHARGE $<br />
CARD NUMBER:<br />
YOf TR SIGNATURE:<br />
PHONE NO ( ).<br />
IS ENCLOSED<br />
"TO MY VISA CARD OR TO MY MASTERCARD.<br />
EXPIRYDATE<br />
MAIL TO. TLC THE LAND CONSERVANCY, 5793 OLD WEST SAANICH ROAD, VICTORIA, B.C. V8X 3X3,<br />
OR FAX TO: (250) 744-2251.<br />
FOR INFORMATION OR TO ARRANGE A PICK-UP OF THIS FORM PHONE (250)361-7693
A CHRISTMAS IDEA FROM<br />
THE LAND CONSERVANCY<br />
GIVE SOMETHING LASTING!<br />
CONSIDER GIVING A MEMBERSHIP IN THE LAND<br />
CONSERVANCY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA.<br />
IT IS THE PERFECT GIFT FOR THE THAT SPECIAL PERSON WHO CARES AS<br />
DEEPLY ABOUT OUR MISSION OF PROTECTING BIODIVERSITY ON EARTH<br />
AS YOU DO, AND YOU WILL HAVE THE SATISFACTION OF KNOWING THAT<br />
YOU ARE HELPING US IN OUR WORK. GIFT MEMBERSHIPS WILL BE<br />
ANNOUNCED BY A SPECIAL CARD TO THE RECIPIENT. YOU WILL RECEIVE<br />
A RECEIPT FOR INCOME TAX PURPOSES.<br />
YES, I THINK THAT IS A GREAT IDEA. I WISH TO GIVE THE FOLLOWING PERSON A<br />
MEMBERSHIP IN THE LAND CONSERVANCY FOR CHRISTMAS.<br />
NAME:<br />
ADDRESS:<br />
PHONE NUMBER:<br />
MEMBERSHIP TYPE: INDIVIDUAL $35.00<br />
FAMILY $50.00<br />
SENIOR $15.00<br />
STUDENT $15.00<br />
WOULD YOU LIKE US TO SEND THE CARD TO YOU AND LET YOU FILL IT IN, OR WOULD<br />
YOU PREFER IF WE SENT IT DIRECTLY TO THE NEW MEMBER? SENDITTOME<br />
SEND IT DIRECTLY<br />
IF YOU WANT US TO SEND IT DIRECTLY, HOW DO YOU WANT US TO SHOW YOUR NAME:<br />
YOU MAY LIST ADDITIONAL GIFTS ON A SHEET OF PAPER.<br />
ADMINISTRATIVE QUESTIONS:<br />
YOUR NAME:<br />
YOUR ADDRESS<br />
YOUR PHONE NUMBER ( )<br />
HOW DO YOU WANT TO PAY?<br />
CHEQUE FOR $<br />
IS ENCLOSED<br />
PLEASE CHARGE $<br />
CARD NUMBER:<br />
EXPIRY DATE<br />
YOUR SIGNATURE:<br />
TOMY VISA CARD OR TO MY MASTERCARD.<br />
MAIL THIS FORM TO TLC THE LAND CONSERVANCY, 5793 OLD WEST SAANICH ROAD,<br />
VICTORIA, B.C. V8X 3X3, OR FAX TO (250) 744-2251.